Ovarian Cancer: What All Women Should Know
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - a good time to review the facts. Even though this form of cancer is almost completely curable if caught in its earliest stages, it is still deadly when it goes undiagnosed. Unfortunately, it has few early symptoms and there is no reliable screening test, making timely diagnosis difficult. To help identify it at an early stage, women should talk with their physician if the following symptoms are persistent, even if they seem trivial:
General abdominal discomfort or pain (gas, indigestion, pressure, swelling, bloating, cramps)
Nausea, diarrhea, constipation or frequent urination
Loss of appetite
Feeling of fullness or abdominal swelling after a light meal
Weight gain or loss with no known reason
Abnormal bleeding from the vagina
Pelvic pressure (a feeling that one needs to urinate or defecate all the time)
Constant back or leg pain
A pelvic exam and an ultrasound can determine whether the ovaries require further evaluation. In addition to knowing the symptoms, two simple precautions can drastically increase the chance of early detection:
Give a thorough medical history to your gynecologist. Disclose any personal and family history of breast, endometrial, or colon cancer, as well as any use of fertility drugs (these may put you at higher risk).
Have an annual pelvic exam and routine sonograms.
Get the facts. Recognize the signs
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