Early Ovarian Cancer Signs Every Woman Should Know

Ovarian cancer is one of the most devastating gynecologic cancers that a woman can get. The mortality and morbidity are amongst the highest and is largely due to the difficulty of early diagnosis. Because ovarian cancer is often caught in a more advanced stage, many cases are extremely difficult to treat. By the time chemotherapy and radiation are on board, the malignant cells have already traveled to various distant sites within the person's body.

This is why it's so incredibly important to know the warning signs of this devastating disease.

Why is it so hard to detect ovarian cancer early?

It's because many of the symptoms are relatively subtle. Most people are usually wary to make a big fuss of small discomforts, so many of the signs of ovarian cancer get brushed off in the early stages. However, being vigilant in monitoring your body's state of health can save your life. So, it's important for women everywhere to know what they need to look out for.

Ovarian cancer is a devastating diagnosis

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 20 thousand women will get diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017. Of these 20 thousand women, 14 thousand will perish from this disease. Those who die from ovarian cancer are often the ones that are diagnosed later on in the disease, at more advanced stages. It's heartbreaking to know that most of the time if the ovarian cancer was found early, the treatment success rate is over 90 percent. That means that many of those who die from ovarian cancer potentially could have been saved. So, what can we do to help diagnose patients earlier?

What ovarian cancer treatment entails

If you do in fact get diagnosed with ovarian cancer, treatment is likely going to be comprehensive. Your ovaries will both likely be surgically removed, along with any other tissues that may be affected by the tumor. Surgery is often followed by chemotherapy and possibly radiation to eradicate any remaining malignant cells. Some newer treatment options involve using hormones or biologic therapies to treat cancer. These types of medicines target specific cell receptors of cancer cells or utilize the body's immune system to destroy the tumor. Some types also affect the hormones that may either stimulate or inhibit the growth of cancer. No matter what treatment option you decide upon, the best prognosis can be expected of patients who have caught the disease early. That's why it's so important to monitor your symptoms and listen to your body. You give yourself the best chance of surviving ovarian cancer by catching the disease as early as possible.

What can we do to detect early disease?

Right now, there are no good screening tests for ovarian cancer. Imaging studies and blood tests have all failed to prove beneficial in helping diagnose patients with early ovarian cancer. This is because all the tests we have today are not reliable for detecting early disease. For this reason, our best weapon is simply to educate women about the early symptoms of ovarian cancer.

So, what are the early signs of ovarian cancer? There are several symptoms that can be red flags and warrant a trip to your doctor for evaluation. We've compiled a list of the most common, early signs to look out for.