Ovarian cancer – the silent killer

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can be vague and easily mistaken for other conditions, meaning women are often diagnosed late.

Ovarian cancer kills 4,000 women in the UK every year but experts are insistent that if women were more aware of the signs, many of these lives could be saved each year. When the disease is caught in its early stages, five year survival rates are around 90%. But the scary truth is that British women are less likely to get an early diagnosis than their European peers.

“They call it the silent killer but symptoms should shout out at you: you have to listen to your body and act,” says an anonymous sufferer, quoted by Ovarian Cancer Action.


Common symptoms:

              Persistent pelvic or abdominal pain

              Constantly feeling bloated

              An increased abdominal size

              Difficulty eating or feeling full more quickly than usual

Slightly less common warning signs include needing to wee more often or urgently and a change in bowel habits (such as diarrhoea).
Because these symptoms can occur with old age, menopause or digestive problems such as IBS or food intolerance, many women ignore them.



Who’s at risk?


Ovarian cancer affects one in 50 women in the UK. The majority of cases are in women over the age of 50 who’ve already been through the menopause – though not always. Other risk factors include a family history of the disease, smoking and being overweight. Mums who have breastfed appear to have a slightly lower risk.
Using HRT for more than five years is also thought to increase the risk, but this returns to normal when you stop taking the therapy.


Other, less scientifically explored factors suggested by the charity Target Ovarian cancer include using talcum powder on the genital area, IVF treatment and eating foods high in acrylamides – such as over-fried bacon and chips.

"In the UK, treatment is very good but, unfortunately, the disease is already in the body and developing before the diagnosis is made and treated,” said media doctor Rob Hicks.

“The key thing about the symptoms – like stomach pains, bloating, needing to pass urine more frequently - is the fact that they are usually persistent. It's not a case of occasional bloating or feeling full after eating - these symptoms are those that are there day in, day out.”



Though most cases of these symptoms aren’t cancer, it’s important to get checked out, as the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of beating it.

Yahoo Lifestyle