Ovarian Cancer And The Elusive Symptoms

Ovarian Cancer and The Elusive Symptoms

A disease that affects one or both ovaries and is one of the most under-recognized illness-affecting women is called ovarian cancer. It is recognized as the fifth most fatal gynecologic cancers women face today. Over half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, die within five years of the diagnosis.

Ovarian cancer can affect one or both ovaries and it can also spread into the uterus, abdomen or other parts of the body such as the breast. It is when the cancer is spreading when the woman usually can detect symptoms.

Ovarian tumors can be either benign or malignant. It is the malignant ones that are cancerous.

The most common ovarian cancer is known as epithelial cancer. This cancer is the one where the abnormal growth arises from the epithelial cells. The epithelial cells are the ones covering the surfaces of the ovaries.

Common symptoms women detect:

Women will usually not detect any symptoms at all in the early stage of ovarian cancer when the cancer would be easier to treat and have the best prognosis.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer may be mistaken as symptoms of other diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome since the first symptoms are usually vague abdominal discomfort, pain or bloating. Another symptom is that of feeling full even when only a small amount of food is eaten. The unusual bloating or swelling is the most common reason women go to the doctor to be checked. It is more than what she experiences during her monthly bloating. The bloating is usually accompanied by digestive disturbances such as changes in bowel habits that cannot be explained away. Changes in urinary patterns may also be a symptom that can be attributed erroneously to a urinary tract infection. Other common symptoms are nausea, fatigue and vomiting. The woman with ovarian cancer may also feel pain when she has intercourse.

A doctor may detect a swelling in the pelvic area, which may be accompanied by pain. A postmenopausal woman may experience unusual vaginal bleeding. Women may also experience weight gain or weight loss, heavier and longer than usual menstrual bleeding.

Symptoms detected by screening:

Some symptoms of ovarian cancer can be detected by screening tests. Screening tests are usually performed on women who are considered high risk for ovarian cancer. Women at high risk may be those who have had breast cancer, who have other family members with ovarian cancer or those women who have never had children. Screening is important for these women because the ovarian cancer can be detected by these tests in the early stage when it is easier to treat and the prognosis is better.

Two screening tests that are easy to perform are a pelvic exam and a rectal exam.

News About Ovarian Cancer Why we need a good screening test for ovarian cancer 16 May 2012 at 11:25am Q: This week the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued preliminary guidelines for ovarian cancer screening. It recommends against routine screening saying that the risk of false positive diagnoses outweighs the benefits. How can this be and why is it so hard to find a good screening test for ovarian cancer? RedCannon Security, Inc. and Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) launch "Supp... 9 May 2012 at 5:00am FREMONT, Calif. and NEW YORK, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- RedCannon Security, Inc. announced today  that together with  Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), they are launching a limited time (90-day) ... 'Debulked Woman': Ovarian Cancer's Grim Reality 2 May 2012 at 7:21am Feminist literary scholar Susan Gubar was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in November 2008. In Memoir of a Debulked Woman , she details ? with graphic honesty ? the physical and emotional pain, the surgery, chemotherapy, "intestinal disasters" and psychological changes that followed. How to recognize ovarian cancer, known as the 'silent killer' 4 May 2012 at 8:45am Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant cells develop in the ovaries -- two small hormone-producing organs on both sides of the uterus. Research and Markets: Opaxio (Ovarian Cancer) - Analysis and Forecasts to 2020 11 May 2012 at 2:38am Dublin - Research and Markets has announced the addition of GlobalData's new report "Opaxio - Fallopian Tube Removal May Lower Risk of Deadly Ovarian Cancer 8 May 2012 at 9:16am Women who are considering getting their fallopian tubes tied should instead have them removed altogether, some doctors say. And, they add, perhaps even women undergoing any type of abdominal surgery should also have their tubes removed, as long as they don't want any more children. Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis 2020 19 Apr 2012 at 4:12am NEW YORK, April 19, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Ovarian Cancer Therapeutics - Global Drug Forecasts and Treatment Analysis ... UC Irvine study finds racial, economic disparities in ovarian cancer care, su... 8 May 2012 at 9:21am ( University of California - Irvine ) Poor women and African Americans with ovarian cancer are less likely to receive the highest standards of care, leading to worse outcomes than among white and affluent patients, according to a study of 50,000 women presented by UC Irvine's Dr. Robert Bristow at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology's annual meeting March 27. FDA takes ?major steps forward? in solving cancer drug shortages 16 May 2012 at 11:51am Commissioner Margaret Hamburg of the US Food and Drug Administration announced today that her agency has taken steps toward solving shortages of two cancer drugs. The FDA granted a foreign supplier temporary permission to sell a drug not yet approved for sale in the United States to replace Doxil, a drug used to treat ovarian cancer. And it has worked with producers of methotrexate to ramp up ... Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Submits Archexin Phase II Protocol for Ovarian Cancer ... 8 May 2012 at 5:00am Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that it has submitted a Phase II protocol for the clinical study of Archexin® as a treatment of ovarian cancer to the U.S. Ovarian Cancer Books & Resources Ovarian Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatments, Stages of Ova... Ovarian Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatments, Stages of Ovarian Cancer (Paperback) By U.S. Department Of Health And Services Buy new: $10.79 10 used and new from $10.78 First tagged "ovarian cancer" by Liz The Choice The Choice (Paperback) By Bernadette Bohan Buy new: $29.50 19 used and new from $16.29 First tagged "ovarian cancer" by SpiritualityHealthMedicine OVARIAN CANCER: Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatments, Stages of Ova... OVARIAN CANCER: Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatments, Stages of Ovarian Cancer- Revised Edition - Illustrated by S. Smith (Kindle Edition) By DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Click for more info Customer Rating: First tagged "ovarian cancer" by Liz Getting Along Without Her Getting Along Without Her (Kindle Edition) By Dakota Balmore Buy new: $2.99 196 used and new from $2.96 First tagged "ovarian cancer" by Dana Palladino "Dana"