Ovarian Cancer Warning symptoms

Each year in the U.S., more than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 15,000 women die of the disease. These are staggering statistics, yet the figures seem to be increasing year by year, unfortunately, because women are not well educated about how to diagnose the warning signs of ovarian cancer.

The rest of this article is taken from a post I wrote recently for my blog. I have received positive feedback on the content, because the facts are taken primarily from the Mayo Clinic and a study by the American Cancer Society - which are a very reliable source of information. So I decided I wanted to share with readers Share This.

The blog entry is:

The warning signs of ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect in early stages because some of the most common symptoms such as indigestion and bloating may be indicative of a number of other medical conditions.

To avoid misdiagnosis, keep in mind this simple rule:

If symptoms or signs are constant and only seem to worsen, then talk to your doctor immediately.


According MayoClinic, recent studies show that women with ovarian cancer are more likely compared with other women to ever experience the following symptoms:

Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
Urinary urgency
Discomfort or pelvic pain

Other warning signs can appear in the following ways:

Constant indigestion, gas or nausea
Unexplained changes in bowel habits such as constipation
Changes in bladder habits, including frequent urination
Loss of appetite or feeling full quickly
Increased abdominal girth or clothes fit tighter around your waist
Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
The continued lack of energy
Low back pain
Changes in menstruation

The American Cancer Society reports that nearly 90% of women in a study who were diagnosed at early stages said they experienced one or more symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, pelvic or back pain. However, only 3% of women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer reported no symptoms.

Also, 55% of the total number of women studied had an accurate diagnosis within two months after the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, it is three to six months for 19% of women, and more than one year 11% of women to realize that indeed there were signs of ovarian cancer. In short, the longer the diagnosis is more advanced cancer developed.

In some cases, women with symptoms of delay in diagnosis for an average wait of two to three months before talking to their doctors, with 22% of women surveyed said they would ignore their symptoms, most because they were not aware of your symptoms are due to cancer.

How to avoid a delay in diagnosis

They say that prevention is better than cure, and the easiest thing you can do to avoid a delay in diagnosis is to take an annual pelvic exam. This not only confirms the common symptoms that often lead to misdiagnosis and validate your warning signs of ovarian cancer, but also an attitude that will help you live longer.