THOUSANDS of women are at risk of dying from ovarian cancer – because they’re diagnosed too late.
A postcode lottery means a fifth of patients are found to have the disease in the advanced stages, a charity warned today.
1. Seek Care from a Gynecologic Oncologist
Perhaps the single most important thing you can do is seek care at a cancer center where providers have experience treating ovarian cancer. These centers, often referred to as “high-volume” centers because they treat many patients with the disease, are staffed with physicians who have extensive experience in treating ovarian cancer and provide the expertise you need.
High-volume hospitals and high volume surgeons are more likely to practice and adhere to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Ovarian Cancer Treatment Guidelines; improved survival rates have been associated with patients treated according to NCCN guidelines.
2. Multiple pregnancies and breastfeeding can also reduce risk
Similarly to the above, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding don’t release eggs. So the more times they’re pregnant or breastfeeding, the less opportunity there is for abnormal cancerous cells to grow.
3. You’re always boated and constipated.
Ovarian cancer can make you feel bloated, again, because of impaired bowel function, says Hoffman. “In order for [your bowels] to function normally, the bowels have to have muscular function to push things through,” he says. But when cancer forms on the outer surface of the bowel—which happens when ovarian cancer starts to spread—it can impair that function, says Hoffman.
Bloating is especially suspicious if you haven’t changed up your diet or exercise routine, says Westin.
However, these symptoms of ovarian cancer can develop at any stage of the condition and include:
- bloating
- pelvic or abdominal pain or cramping
- feeling full quickly after starting to eat or lack of appetite
- indigestion or upset stomach
- nausea
- the need to urinate more frequently or urgently than normal
- a pressure in the lower back or pelvis
- unexplained exhaustion
- back pain
- constipation
- increase abdominal girth or abdominal swelling
- painful sex
- menstrual changes
- weight loss
. Frequent Urination
Women with ovarian cancer may also notice that they suddenly have to use the restroom more often. Because your bladder and ovaries are close together, your urinary tract can be affected by the health of your ovaries. You may also notice that you have to go to the bathroom urgently more often.
5. Changes in Menstruation
A change to your period cycle could be related to ovarian health. If you are premenopausal and suddenly have more painful periods or an irregular cycle, you should schedule a physical with your doctor. This is especially true if you are unable to manage a regular and pain-free cycle even while on oral birth control. Similarly, if you are postmenopausal and have unexpected bleeding you should go to a gynecologist for an exam.
6. Eating Problems
If you are experiencing eating disorders, such as becoming less hungry over a three-week span, you should go consult your doctor immediately. It could be issues with your stomach or intestines, but it could also be a sign of ovarian cancer.
7. Pain In Your Pelvis and Lower Abdomen
It’s pretty normal for women to feel pain in their abdomen and pelvis during menstruation. But when that pain is still there after the woman is done menstruating, it could be a sign of ovarian cancer. It’s very important for all women to watch out of this sign, since this symptom is often mistaken for PMS pain.
Most of these symptoms can be easily mistaken for problems and diseases with the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if you experience any of them and you haven’t earlier, it is crucial to monitor their persistence and frequency. If they don’t subside in a few weeks, consult your doctor and get checked as soon as possible.
Remember that monitoring our health and learning to recognize the symptoms is the key to early detection and an increased chance of survival.
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