Research Reveals 10 Silent Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Ovarian cancer is a serious threat that can affect almost any woman. However, your ovaries are hidden deep within your body, and so it can be difficult to detect when they have been afflicted with cancer. Many of the symptoms feel the same as common illnesses or even the natural effects of aging.

It is because of this that ovarian cancer has been nicknamed “The Silent Killer,” as the symptoms mimic other diseases or are barely noticeable.

However, ovarian cancer’s symptoms are persistent. Simple treatments will not cause them to go away, and while they may subside for a time, they will always return.

It is important to detect ovarian cancer as soon as possible. When caught early, most women will survive treatment, then go on to live a cancer-free life. Ninety percent, in fact. That is a huge number. If caught late, however, the chances of survival drop dramatically. If the cancer is caught during the later stages, the survival rate can drop to thirty-five percent or even lower.

Only fifteen percent of women who develop ovarian cancer get diagnosed during the first stage, when survival is the most likely. So, it is important to pay attention to your body and approach your doctor with any concerns about whether or not you have developed ovarian cancer. Studying the following symptoms may save your life.

Ovarian cancer is also considered a silent killer, and this is due to its less-than-noticeable symptoms which are often not diagnosed until it is too late, when the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Some of the early symptoms of ovarian cancer are often mild, thereby making a diagnosis difficult to carry out. Below are ten quiet symptoms of cancer:

• One of the earliest and most common symptoms is the feeling of fullness or bloating in the abdomen. One should pay attention if they feel bloated a significant amount of time each day for a period of three weeks or longer.
• There is swelling or pain in the abdomen. An individual may experience various types of pain in the pelvic region, but not all are possibly related to ovarian cancer. In the case of cancer, the pain can feel like pressure, or it can be persistent and recur in between.
• The mass that forms due to ovarian cancer pushes against the bladder, which would lead to an increase in one’s urge to urinate on a more frequent basis than what it used to be before the occurrence of cancer. Often, though, it may happen that, despite the constant urge to urinate, you are unable to do so.
• Similar to the previous case, the cancer can also lead to a push against the stomach, thereby making the individual feel full even when they have consumed a lower quantity of food. Thus, it suppresses the appetite of the individual.
• Fatigue, which often occurs in most medical conditions, is also a common symptom seen in those suffering from ovarian cancer. Due to fatigue, the individual will start to feel depressed and have anxious thoughts, thereby affecting their overall quality of life.
• Pain caused by ovarian cancer may not be felt through any usual movements, but it can be affected during sexual intercourse. This pain can occur on either side of the pelvic region. But not all pain is associated with cancer; in the case of occasional pain during sex, it can be attributed to a lack of lubrication, but if the pain is consistent, then speak to a doctor.
• When the ovaries become affected by cancer, it has an impact on the entire menstrual cycle, and thus it leads to sudden changes in the timing and duration of the woman’s period.
• Women who suffer from ovarian cancer have a tendency to lose weight, but there are chances that they may also start to gain weight all of a sudden, too.
• At times, the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome since, apart from the feeling of fullness and bloating, the individual may also experience constipation or diarrhea.
• Since ovarian cancer creates a mass in the woman’s body, it can lead to a push against the nerves, which have a tendency to travel through the pelvic region, thereby leading to pain being felt in the lower back or down towards the leg.