The lack of screening methods, the lack of early detection of cancer and the asymptomatic course of the first stages of the disease make ovarian cancer one of the most dangerous cancers in women. It usually affects women over 50, but there are also cases of the disease before the age of XNUMX.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
In stage I and II, the tumor develops asymptomatically. As it grows, the first, uncharacteristic symptoms appear that can easily stay mistakenly diagnosed as gastrointestinal ailmentsThese include: diarrhoea, nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, feeling of fullness in the stomach, fatigue, lack of appetite. If such symptoms occur in women aged 40+, the doctor should order a follow-up ultrasound examination to exclude ovarian cancer.Characteristic symptoms clearly indicating the development of the disease, occur in stages III and IV, and these are: enlargement of the abdominal circumference (ascites), pain in the lower abdomen, exhaustion of the body. In addition, intestinal obstruction, urinary retention and hydronephrosis may coexist; in laboratory tests, ESR increases, the face takes on the characteristic shape of the so-called facies ovarica. In girls, attention should be paid to premature puberty, abnormal hair growth and menstrual disorders.
Pain is a symptom of advanced disease and should not be expected in the earlier stages. Ovarian cancer grows quickly, painlessly and in most cases asymptomatically.
Ovarian cancer diagnosis
Abnormalities in the ovaries are often discovered by chance during other gynecological examinations, so it is worth going for regular check-ups. Detailed diagnostics for cancer are performed during targeted tests, when the first symptoms appear, and this is far too late. The basic examination is Ovarian ultrasound and abdominal organs, it is very helpful Transvaginal ultrasound with color Doppler, enabling the assessment of blood flow and the condition of blood vessels, and thus the detection of the presence of neoplastic blood vessels that supply the tumors with blood. Complementary examinations include: magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, urography and chest X-ray. CA125 and HE4 tumor markers are also assessed according to the ROMA protocol. Unfortunately early detection of ovarian cancer is low, and mortality is very high due to the lack of screening procedures for this cancer when it is still in its early stages of development. You can read more about ovarian cancer, methods of detection and treatment on the website.