What Are The Signs Of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer among British women.  There are nearly 7000 new cases each year.  It is the fifth most common killer of women.  Women over 55 or with a family history of colon, breast or ovarian cancer are most at risk.

Early detection can make a big difference in survival rates.  Unfortunately, the early symptoms are common and benign in non-cancerous women.  So it is easy to dismiss them as just signs of getting older.

There are key early indications though, that diagnosed patients are often able to attribute to their disease in hindsight.  The difference in these symptoms in healthy women and people with ovarian cancer, is that they are more persistent and much harder to otherwise explain in women with the cancer:

Bloating and abdominal pain.
Gastro-intestinal upset.
Excess fatigue.
Urgent and frequent need to urinate.
Bowel habit changes.
Weight loss or gain.
Irregular periods.