Symptoms of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is difficult to recognize because symptoms often do not occur until late in the disease. Most frequently, symptoms of ovarian cancer do not occur a tumor(s) has grown large enough to apply pressure to other organs in the abdomen, or until cancer has spread to other organs.
Ovarian cancer symptoms can be vague. Furthermore, symptoms of ovarian cancer can be due to many different conditions and may not be easy to spot. And symptoms of ovarian cancer can be related to other, much less serious conditions. The only early symptom of the disease is menstrual irregularity. However, there is more chance that symptoms are caused by cancer if they are new, severe, don't go away (persistent) or occur often. Symptoms of ovarian cancer that manifest later include the following:
When to seek help
Do not observe condition or symptoms without action if symptoms do not go away. If you are concerned about your symptoms and you have a higher risk for ovarian cancer, call and make an appointment with your doctor. See your doctor right away if you are experiencing the following symptoms that are not caused by constipation, lactose intolerance, or another harmless condition:
Seek emergency help for any of the following symptoms:
Because the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be mistaken for other conditions such as digestive problems, you need to consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. But where does diagnosis begin? And which doctor should you see first? Read here to learn how to diagnose clear cell ovarian cancer and other types of ovarian cancer now.