Ovarian cancer history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Historically ovarian cancer was called the “silent killer” because symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of cure was poor. However, recent studies have shown this term is untrue and that some symptoms are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population.
Symptoms
- The are three scenarios when diagnosing Ovarian cancer based on the clinical presentation, stage of the disease, and the condition of the patient, and the presence of peritoneal carcinoma
- If symptoms suggestive of epithelial ovarian cancer, pelvic exam and pelvic imaging should be done to look for adnexal mass
- Because ovarian cancer is diagnosed histologically, surgical exploration is the main approach for the definitive diagnosis of ovarian cancer
- Symptoms can vary based on the advancement of the disease:
- Women with advanced disease presents with acute symptoms such as:
- shortness of breath: due to malignant pleural effusion)
- Nausea and vomiting: due to bowel obstruction
- Symptoms of venous thromboembolism (VTE) depending on the site of the thrombus and its extent. eg: severe pain and swelling in the lower limb or shortness of breath with pulmonary emboli
- Women with early, late or advanced disease presents with subacute symptoms such as:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- A lump that can be felt (palpable) in the pelvic or abdominal area
- Need to urinate often (frequency)
- Intense need to urinate (urgency)
- Constipation
- Changes to digestion (such as difficulty eating, feeling full after a small meal, heartburn, gas, indigestion or nausea)
- Feeling of pressure in the pelvic or abdominal area
- Fatigue
- Pain in the legs, lower back, pelvis or abdomen
- Bloating (swelling of the abdomen)
- Painful intercourse
- Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
- Buildup of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion)
- Buildup of lymph fluid (lymphedema) in the legs
- Weight loss
- Bowel obstruction