Certain Symptoms Common in Women with Ovarian Cancer
ACOG NEWS RELEASEFor Release: July 31, 2001
7:00 AM EDT
Certain Symptoms Common in Women with Ovarian Cancer
WASHINGTON, DC — The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often described as nonspecific or nonexistent, making it difficult to detect the disease before it has progressed to later and more deadly stages. But a study in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology suggests that the prevalence of certain symptoms may help identify women with ovarian cancer.
A comparison of ovarian cancer patients in New York hospitals with healthy women from the community found that women with ovarian cancer were more likely than healthy women to experience bloating, fullness, and pressure in the abdomen or pelvis. Although healthy women could also experience these symptoms from other causes, in women with cancer these symptoms were of a more constant (rather than intermittent) nature and had been going on for a shorter period of time than similar symptoms in healthy women. Other symptoms reported by women with ovarian cancer included pain in the abdomen or lower back, unusual fatigue, and problems with urination and constipation.
Contrary to a common perception that early-stage ovarian cancer is entirely asymptomatic, a large majority of women with early stage disease reported some symptoms in the months before diagnosis. The authors caution, however, that their study did not find specific symptoms that would improve the detection of early ovarian cancer, and more research on symptoms is needed. Nevertheless, greater awareness of certain symptoms may make women and physicians more alert to the changes associated with ovarian cancer, and more likely to seek appropriate exploratory tests.
At present, the majority of the 23,000 new ovarian cancer cases in the US each year are diagnosed at later stages, when the survival rate is typically less than 5 years.
Contact: Sara H. Olson, Ph.D., in care of the Public Affairs Office, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, at (212) 639-3573.
# # #
Studies published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of ACOG. ACOG is the national medical organization representing nearly 40,000 physicians who provide health care for women.
Copyright © 2003 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
409 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2188