Weight change
- Unexplained weight gain, especially in the abdominal area
- Unexplained weight loss
The majority of women with abdominal, GI, pelvic, or general complaints will not have ovarian cancer but it must be included in the list of possible diagnoses.
Because the abdominal cavity has ample room, tumors and cysts may grow large before creating pressure on another organ causing the above symptoms. For this reason pay special attention to any abnormal discomfort to find the ovarian cancer at an earlier stage.
If any of these symptoms are unusual for you or persist, inform your doctor.
89 - 97% of women with ovarian cancer do have symptoms
|
Order of Frequency:
| Abdominal Size |
61% |
| Abdominal Bloating |
57% |
| Fatigue |
36% |
| Indigestion |
31% |
| Urinary Frequency |
26% |
| Pelvic Pain |
25% |
| Incontinence |
24% |
| Back Pain |
23% |
| Dyspareunia (intercourse pain) |
17% |
| Unable to eat |
16% |
| Palpable Mass |
14% |
| Vaginal Bleeding |
13% |
| Weight Loss |
11% |
| Nausea |
9% |
Of those diagnosed in Stage I/II - 11% were asymptomatic (without symptoms)
Stage III/IV - 3% were asymptomatic (without symptoms)
As in all cancers, ovarian cancer is described in stages. In ovarian cancer the staging is done at the time of surgery.
Staging is based on classifications devised by FIGO (Internal Federation of Gynecological and Obstetrics - http://www.figo.com)
- STAGE I - Cancer is limited to one or both ovaries.
- STAGE II - The tumor involves one or both ovaries with extension to other pelvic structures.
- STAGE III - The tumor involves one or both ovaries, and one or both of the following are present: (1)The cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen; and (2) the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
- STAGE IV - Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries and distant metasases to the liver or lungs have occurred.
The following are quotes from Ovarian Cancer Patients
"I had only one symptom, painful intercourse, and never told my doctor."
"I only had one abnormal bleed."
"I thought my back pain was due to poor posture and being overweight. Therefore, I never admitted it to my doctors. Only after surgery when my back pain was gone did I realize it was a symptom."
"I was running daily but gained 15 lbs. in a few weeks. Overnight, I could not zip up my pants."
"I had fatigue that I thought was a part of my old age, or just working too hard."
"If I had insisted on future testing when my ovarian cyst was discovered, my ovarian cancer would have been detected at stage I instead of stage III."
