Ovarian Cancer Prognosis

If you are experiencing weeks of bloating, need to urinate frequently, changes in eating and abdominal or pelvic pain – any of these symptoms or a combination – could be a type of early ovarian cancer, say experts.
“There was a myth according to which there are no symptoms of ovarian cancer and that’s nothing you can do about it. But is not true,” said Dr. Barbara Goff, a specialist at Washington University.
There is no early detection test and a pelvic exam is considered the main way to detect ovarian cancer.
Experts claim that a woman should consult their doctor immediately if they encounter every day for at least three weeks with these symptoms:

- Flatulence
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
- Poor nutrition or fast saturated sensation
- urgent or frequent urination

“But this symptom guide is problematic,” said Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecological cancer society.
Many women with these symptoms may have an irritable bowel rather than ovarian cancer. Also, there is a high accuracy tests to confirm the existence of cancer at a level so early, which raises a problem: treating these symptoms as an indication of a hundred percent sure of ovarian cancer may lead to biopsy or specific treatments that could do more harm than good.
Experts have nevertheless decided to make this announcement because sudden appearance of these symptoms in a healthy woman could be an important clue.
A correct assessment includes questions about the existence of family of breast or ovarian cancer or if the patient has genetic mutations associated with presenting symptoms.
Women should initially consult a gynecologist and then an expert in ovarian cancer followed by ultrasound, blood tests and palpation. Unfortunately, none of them is an extraordinary accuracy. Especially blood test can be problematic.
Survival rate is much higher if the cancer is discovered early, but only one of five cases is detected early.