Articles
Register for Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Give Hope for Early Diagnosis and Treatment
Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Society for
Women’s Health Research
August 30, 2007
Ovarian cancer, long considered a silent killer because of the lack of warning
signs, may not be so silent. A new consensus statement released by the
Gynecological Cancer Foundation reveals that women who have developed ovarian
cancer may have had common disease symptoms.
These symptoms include:
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Bloating
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Pelvic or abdominal pain
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Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
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Urinary urgency or frequency
Women who experience these symptoms on a daily basis for several
weeks should visit their doctor. Ovarian cancer usually happens in women over
age 50, but it can also affect younger women. Its cause is unknown.
“This agreement on common symptoms of ovarian cancer hopefully will lead to
earlier diagnosis when a cure is more likely,” said Barbara Goff, M.D.,
professor and director of gynecologic oncology at the University of Washington
in Seattle, in a statement issued by the Gynecological Cancer Foundation. “We
know that when women are diagnosed in Stage I of the disease, it is 90 percent
curable. Unfortunately, until now there has been no agreement on common
symptoms, allowing women to go undiagnosed, despite visits to the doctor, until
it was too late.”
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer among women,
according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 20,000 American women
develop the disease and 15,000 women die from it each year. Early diagnosis of
ovarian cancer can dramatically improve survival rates, but the vast majority of
cases are not diagnosed until the disease has spread into neighboring tissues
and organs beyond the ovaries.
There is currently no consistent, reliable screening test to detect ovarian
cancer. As part of a woman’s annual gynecologic care, the doctor will perform a
pelvic examination to determine if there is any abnormal swell or tenderness
that may indicate a problem.
For women who have an abnormal pelvic examination, are at high risk for the
disease or have a family history of the disease, the doctor may conduct a blood
test to see if there are markers in the blood for ovarian cancer. The test,
however, is not definitive and is most useful in women who are postmenopausal.
Ultrasound can also be used to detect abnormalities in the ovaries. These
examination options should be discussed with a physician, because there are
advantages and disadvantages of undergoing such tests, including false positives
and unnecessary procedures.
There are several factors that may lower the risk of ovarian cancer. These
include:
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Oral contraception: Certain studies have shown that women who use birth control pills for at least three years or longer reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer by thirty to fifty percent.
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Pregnancy and breastfeeding: A full-term pregnancy of at least one child appears to lower the risk of ovarian cancer. And breastfeeding for twelve months or longer appears to lower the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.
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Certain surgical procedures: Some studies show that tubal ligations and hysterectomies may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
“There are no research studies that prove that the group of
symptoms that have been associated with ovarian cancer will lead to earlier
diagnosis,” said, Carol L. Brown, M.D., an assistant attending surgeon at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “But it is hoped that by
recognizing these signs earlier will help women get appropriate diagnosis and
treatment by a gynecologic oncologist.”
Early detection is the key to successfully treating most cancers. As more women
learn about symptoms that are associated with ovarian cancer, timely diagnosis
and treatments will increase, leading to a reduction in the number of deaths
from this disease.
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. For more information about ovarian
cancer symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, visit the Women’s Cancer Network Web
site, http://www.wcn.org , a project developed
by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation for women and their families.
© August 30, 2007 Society for Women's Health Research
