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20 Jun 09
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According to Dr. Helen Zorbas ovarian cancer is far from being a silent killer as 83% of women have at least one symptom before being diagnosed.
Dr. Zorbas from the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer centre, says the most common symptoms are abdominal fullness and pain.
The new study 'Ovarian Cancer Not A 'Silent Killer' by the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, was carried out in collaboration with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, and it looked at the experiences of 1,500 Australian women prior to their diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
The preliminary findings clearly demonstrate that women need to be aware of the symptoms of the disease as most of the women experienced at least one symptom of ovarian cancer in the year prior to their diagnosis.
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The study also revealed 17% of women waited more than three months after the onset of their symptoms before visiting their doctor and another with 8% waited more than six months.
Dr. Zorbas says the most common reason for the delay was an assumption that the symptoms were not serious, with many women attributing them to another medical condition or the natural process of ageing.
Dr. Zorbas says as there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, the first step to diagnosis is a woman identifying symptoms which are persistent and unusual for her and seeking medical attention and she says it is vital that women are aware of the symptoms to look out for.
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- abdominal bloating.
- abdominal or back pain
- appetite loss or feeling full quickly
- changes in toilet habits
- unexplained weight loss or gain
- indigestion or heartburn
- fatigue
The symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
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