As you know, early diagnosis with such formidable diseases as cancer is the most important condition for their successful overcoming. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your body, not only regularly visiting medical facilities, but also be able to independently identify the signs of diseases. What are the symptoms found in ovarian cancer, we consider in this article.
How to identify ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is a group of neoplasms that can occur in different tissues that are inside the ovaries. Ovarian cancer is a very insidious disease, as it often manifests itself not immediately, revealing itself in the early stages of only a third of patients. In this case, even examinations of the pelvic region, ultrasound and blood tests do not accurately determine the presence of the disease. This can be explained by the fact that the ovaries, normally having a diameter of 2.5 cm, are located deep in the abdominal cavity and the tumor can grow to a sufficiently large size before it can be identified.
In addition, the symptoms of ovarian cancer in women are difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of other, more common diseases, which are often taken first ovarian cancer, making an erroneous diagnosis. For example, signs of ovarian cancer may resemble manifestations of diseases of the bladder or digestive system. However, in this disease, unlike others, the symptoms are constantly and exacerbated, and do not appear periodically.
So, the first signs of ovarian cancer can be expressed as follows:
- constant discomfort in the abdomen, a feeling of overeating, swelling;
- urgent urge to urinate, frequent urination;
- pain in the pelvic region, lumbar region;
- unexpected changes in the nature of the stool (diarrhea or constipation);
- causeless addition or weight loss;
- increase in the waist;
- deterioration of appetite, general weakness;
- painful sexual intercourse .
One of the first specific symptoms in ovarian cancer is incomprehensible discharge from the genital tract (often bloody). With the progression of the disease, the pain in the abdomen becomes aching and pulling, intensified. In ovarian cancer, in many cases, body temperature increases to 37.5 - 38 ° C, which often occurs in the evening. At later stages, anemia, body exhaustion, abdominal enlargement, edema of the lower limbs, signs of respiratory and cardiovascular insufficiency appear.
Diagnosis of ovarian cancer
If there is a suspicion of the disease after the gynecological examination, ultrasound is necessarily performed, thanks to which a volumetric formation, the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity can be detected. With the help of computer and magnetic resonance imaging, the specialists study in detail all the organs to which the disease could spread. With the same purpose, to check whether there are metastases in the lungs , radiography is prescribed. When fluid is detected in the abdominal cavity or in others
What if there is a suspicion of ovarian cancer?
The main thing is to overcome the fear of a possible diagnosis and not postpone for a single day a visit to specialists and conducting analyzes. If the diagnosis is confirmed - in any case not to refuse and not postpone treatment. In the event that after finding the above symptoms, another diagnosis was made, but after treatment there was no improvement, a second examination should be performed.