Learn to Identify the Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a topic that is very dear to my heart as I have just recently lost my wonderful 80 year old mother to this terrible disease. She fought it for over 2 years, but lost her battle in the end. The best chances for successful treatment and survival of this type of cancer is early detection , but many times this is not the case as the symptoms of this disease are very silent and many times it is not discovered until it has reached the advanced stage. Studies have shown that there are some general symptoms that may show for ovarian cancer and all women should be aware of them and if they experience any of them, they should not waste any time in seeing their doctor. It is also recommended that all women that are over the age of 18 have an annual pelvic examination. Lets take a look at some of the symptoms that may occur for women who have ovarian cancer.

The most common symptoms that may occur are those of indigestion, changes in bowel movements and bouts of nausea. Some women may also experience pelvic pain, but a lot of them who have ovarian cancer do not. Other symptoms include as mentioned pain in the pelvic area or abdomen, pressure, discomfort, swelling, nausea, gas, urgent urination, abnormal weight loss or gain in the abdomen area, abdomen swelling, pain during intercourse, leg pain and bleeding in the vagina.

Studies conducted on women with ovarian cancer showed that many of the them suffered from the same common symptoms of the disease and often experienced them 12 or more times during the month. Research was conducted on women with ovarian cancer and women who did not have it. These symptoms included pain in the pelvic and abdomen area, bloating of the abdomen, urgent and frequent urination, feeling full after eating very little and overall difficulty in eating at all.

If you are experiencing or think that you have any of the above symptoms, then you should contact your doctor as soon as possible . He will be able to schedule the proper tests for you to determine if you do have ovarian cancer and what stage it is in and what treatment options are available to you. It is also recommended that you meet on a daily basis with your gynecologists for several weeks to have a complete study of the disease.

Ovarian cancer, in the preliminary stage, is usually asymptomatic. As the cancer progresses, the first noticeable symptoms are usually abdominal discomfort and bloating or swelling. These are the symptoms that are often ignored or are blamed on other causes. Any symptoms that persist should be discussed with your health care professional. If this cancer is caught in the early stages, the survival rate is much higher.

I hope that you found this information useful and if you would like more information on ways to live healthy, then please visit my eating healthy web site where you will find great information to help you live a long and healthy life.