What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer? Here are the main ones not to be underestimated.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousWhat are the delivery times? symptoms of ovarian cancer? Abdominal pain, frequent urination and also a feeling of fullness. Few recognize this symptomatology, thus often making a certain diagnosis late.
A not-so-comforting picture emerges from the survey conducted by the British foundation Target Ovarian Cancer: the most common symptoms of the disease, such as abdominal pain and a feeling of full belly, are not recognized as such by most British women.
Only 1% of women are aware that frequent urination is a symptom of ovarian cancer and only one fifth of the 1.000 women surveyed identified frequent swelling as an alarming symptom. Furthermore, three out of 10 mistakenly believe that cervical screening detects a cancer condition (the problem is that, unlike breast cancer, screening tests are different and their results must be cross-referenced).
The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer
Unfortunately, ovarian cancer does not show symptoms in the early stages, which is why it is still difficult to identify it early.
There are three symptoms that women should be aware of as possible early indicators of ovarian cancer:
- swollen abdomen
- aerophagia
- need to urinate frequently
which obviously must be considered as an alarm bell only if they occur together and suddenly or in rapid sequence.
To these can be added other symptoms as:
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- fatigue
- unexplained weight loss
If these symptoms persist, it is advisable to contact your doctor and start all investigations.
Ovarian cancer: diagnosis and examinations to be done
Generally, the diagnosis is made with one gynecological examination and palpation of the abdomen (if in childbearing age the normal ovary measures 3,5 cm, in menopause the ovary begins to atrophy and measures about 2 cm), which may be followed by a transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasound combined with the dosage of the CA 125, a serum marker whose values can however be elevated in many situations, both gynecological and non-gynecological tumors, and in non-neoplastic pathologies such as chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis.
In addition to ultrasound, abdominal CT scan, barium enema and magnetic resonance imaging can be used for more in-depth examinations in order to verify the spread of the tumor and the presence of any metastases in the abdominal cavity.
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In any case, remember the importance of prevention: never forget to make annual visits to your gynecologist.
Germana Carillo