Ovarian cancer represents one of the most feared spectra by women, who can think they can’t make it when it’s diagnosed. It is therefore good not to underestimate some possible symptoms that can make you think about this.
Undergoing prevention for a woman remains essential to prevent any diseases. It is therefore essential to undergo a gynecological examination with ultrasound at least once a year, a mammography (from 40 and up) to try to detect breast cancer in a timely manner, but also the ‘famous’ pap test.
This term means nothing but that essential screening tool to be taken into consideration if you want to discover the presence of ovarian cancer. Although not particularly common, it represents the one that causes the highest number of deaths among female neoplasms. Also in this case, therefore, the earlier the diagnosis is, the more chances there are of recovery.
Ovarian cancer is still scary: how to recognize the symptoms
The idea of having cancer can only be frightening, even though medicine has now made great strides and made pathologies curable that weren’t previously. This only partially applies to ovarian cancer, which makes up only 2.9% of cancer diagnoses. Five-year survival after diagnosis is only 50%.
Being able to identify it when it is only at an early stage is therefore the best tool to try to eradicate it. However, the symptoms end up being attributable to other disorders, which is why it is not so easy to identify it early.
There are however several test to which a woman can undergo and which can prove decisive. It is the case of gynecological examination, pelvic ultrasound, blood test for the tumor marker CA-125, and computed tomography (CT) or MRI (MRI). Patients who have a mother, daughter or sister who have already developed ovarian cancer in the past should also be more cautious because they have a greater risk of being able to contract it. This can also happen to those who have one family history Of breast cancerto the uterus, uterus, colon, or rectum.
I symptoms which can be traced back to ovarian cancer can be attributable at least initially to other pathologies, for this reason it would be good to talk to your doctor if you notice anything abnormal. At that point it will be possible to understand if it is necessary to undergo specific tests.
Among the signs that can arouse suspicion are the abdominal bloating and pain, difficulty eating, nausea, constipation or diarrhoea, needing to urinate frequently and feeling full. Many can link these sensations, however, also to irritable bowel syndrome and premenstrual syndrome. However, the situation should not be underestimated if the clinical picture persists for more than two weeks.
Among the more specific symptoms of this type of cancer are others that it would be good to talk about with your own gynecologist of trust. It is the case of bleeding, vaginal abnormalities, tiredness and unintentional weight loss, and pain during intercourse.
More risk factors can be represented by lack of pregnancy, personal history of cancer (breast, uterus, colon and rectal cancer), endometriosis, hormonal therapy carried out in menopause and age (in most cases it is diagnosed in those who have more aged 55).