Symptoms
Symptoms associated
with ovarian cancer can be very vague and resemble
other illnesses.
Symptoms might include:
- swelling of the stomach (abdomen) from a buildup of fluid
- unusual vaginal bleeding
- pelvic pressure
- back or leg pain
- GI problems such as gas, bloating,
long-term stomach pain, constipation, or indigestion
These symptoms can
be caused by something else but it is better to
make an appointment to rule out ovarian cancer.
The vagueness of the symptoms also reiterates
the importance of paying close attention to
your body and your overall health. No matter
how insignificant you think the symptoms might
be, address them with your doctor.
Diagnosis
If you have any
of the symptoms above, report them to your
doctor right away. If ovarian cancer is suspected,
your doctor will order the appropriate tests
for confirmation.
One test that
you might have heard of is the CA-125 blood
test. CA-125 is a blood test. CA-125 is a
blood protein that is higher than normal
is women with ovarian cancer. This test,
along with imaging studies such as an MRI,
ultrasound or CT scans (computed tomography)
can help Your doctor will then
About 20 percent
of ovarian cancers are found at an early
stage which improves upon successful treatment.
90 percent of
women treated for early ovarian cancer will
live longer than 5 years after the cancer
is found. Unfortunately, there is no reliable
test for finding this cancer early, but several
large studies are in progress to learn how
best to find ovarian cancer in its earliest stage.
Treatment
The main treatments
for ovarian cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and
radiation therapy. In some cases 2 or even all
3 of these treatments will be used.
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