Symptoms ovarian cancer

Symptoms and diagnostic methods for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is usually at an early stage from no noticeable symptoms. While the early symptoms, is the tumor is usually already at an advanced stage. It expresses, for example, menstrual disorders, menstrual pain, bleeding in postmenopausal women, unexplained abdominal pain and an increase in waist circumference without any significant change in body weight. The increase in waist circumference may be caused by ascites (abdominal dropsy), ie an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which is caused by the tumor.

The cause of these symptoms need not necessarily be ovarian cancer, but these warnings should not be dismissed. It is advisable to control pain, which are stronger than normal, bleeding between periods or to visit with a gynecologist or other symptoms, these symptoms, at least to speak at your next appointment. Through early diagnosis, the prognosis for ovarian cancer are greatly improved.

Suspected of having ovarian cancer, certain diagnostic tests provide information. In the run-up to be clarified in the context of the conversation history type, duration and severity of symptoms and risk factors such as a familial predisposition. Pelvic exam, the ovaries are first scanned. Larger growths, the doctor can detect it already.

For further diagnosis is usually performed first outpatient ultrasound examination (sonography) of the ovaries and the surrounding abdominal cavity. This allows formation of tissue of the ovary are closely examined. Whether the tumor is benign or malignant, but can be detected with ultrasound examination is not clear. For this reason, usually a blood test is initiated at the so-called tumor marker. Tumor markers are substances that come directly from the cancer cells or produced by the body in response to tumor cells.

When ovarian cancer is primarily in the blood serum of the tumor markers CA 125 (cancer antigen-125) detected in elevated concentrations. As this analysis method does not always provide clear results, to confirm the diagnosis is usually also performed a biopsy (tissue sampling) and examined the tissue sample in the laboratory.

Suspected of having metastatic disease, are also often studied in ovarian cancer metastases of the institutions concerned. Possible metastases in lung or kidney can be localized by X-ray examination. Metastasis in bladder or bowel are suspected, this is clarified by a bladder or colonoscopy. In part for this purpose, other imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (be MRI ) or computed tomography (CT) was used. (Ah)

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:

• Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
• Pelvic discomfort or pain
• Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
• Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
• Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
• Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
• Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
• A persistent lack of energy
• Low back pain