Ovarian cancer has long been called the silent killer because it was hard to spot before spreading beyond the ovaries. The American Cancer Society, along with the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, released a consensus statement listing six symptoms that may help to identify and, therefore, treat ovarian cancer earlier.
Women should visit their doctor if they experience any one or more of these symptoms for three weeks. Ovarian Cancer Canada supports the statement and welcomes the opportunity to get the message out to Canadians. "The new findings offer hard evidence that early symptoms of the disease are, in fact, real," says CEO Elisabeth Ross. "The challenge now is to make sure that these symptoms are understood and communicated to women and doctors across the country."
The symptoms are:
-Pelvic or abdominal pain
-Abdominal bloating
-Urinary urgency (sudden urges to urinate)
-Urinary frequency
-Feeling full
-Having difficulty eating
Prevalence of ovarian cancer in Canada
In Canada, 2,400 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and 1,700 will die from the disease. According to the OCC, 80 percent of women are diagnosed at stages three or four, when survival rates are as low as 20 per cent.
Although the symptoms listed above could be mistaken for other, less severe, problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, it's still best to get checked out. "There can be no 'harm' in following up on symptoms, whether they are due to ovarian cancer or a less serious condition," says Dr. Wylam Faught, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Alberta and chief of Women's Health at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. "It remains unlikely that a surgical procedure would be performed without clinical evidence to support it."
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