Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that affects women and develops in the ovaries. It is tough to detect the presence of ovarian cancer, especially in the early stages. That being said, being aware of the early signs of ovarian cancer can facilitate early diagnosis and timely treatment, increasing the chances of successful treatment.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer does showcase a bunch of symptoms, but they are much similar to the symptoms of several other common illnesses, making it difficult to diagnose the disease. Also, in some women, these symptoms are not persistent, which means they often go unnoticed.
Women generally experience the symptoms of ovarian cancer when the disease has starts spreading. However, some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer that occur during the early stages are:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain, swelling, and pressure
- Pelvic pain
- A feeling of fullness by only a small meal portion
- Inability to eat a whole meal
- Urinary problems that include urgency and increased frequency of urination
- An upset stomach
- Back pain
- Fatigue or extreme tiredness
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Unexplained weight loss
- Constipation
- Changes in the menstrual cycle, like excessive or irregular bleeding
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory disease that can lead to inflamed muscles, weakness in the muscles, and rashes on the skin
How can one know that a symptom is caused by ovarian cancer?
All of these symptoms can occur because of a number of other reasons and common ailments, and they might not always be linked to ovarian cancer. Also, it is believed that most women experience one or many of these symptoms at more than one point in time in their life due to some other reason. So, it becomes important to understand how to differentiate the symptoms depending on the cause.
When the symptoms are caused by something other than ovarian cancer, they are temporary and can be controlled by simple treatment measures for most women. However, if the symptoms occur due to the presence of ovarian cancer, they are persistent.
For instance, if a person experiences these symptoms more frequently or if they are more severe than normal, it could be a hint of an underlying disease like ovarian cancer. As a typical observation, these symptoms are prevalent in women who do not have ovarian cancer. That being said, if a person experiences either of these symptoms over 12 times in a month, they must immediately visit a doctor for further diagnosis.
This can help begin timely treatment for the underlying cause and increase the success rate of the treatment, especially if the cause is a serious disease like ovarian cancer.
