Recently, a dear friend of mine lost her sixty year old mother to ovarian cancer. Even with the pain so raw, she thought to impress upon me and others about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Recognizing ovarian cancer symptoms is so important because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths. That boils down to almost twenty thousand women per year being diagnosed with the disease and almost fifteen thousand deaths from it each year. Catching it early is one of the keys to having a successful outcome.
Ovarian cancer symptoms mimic other conditions and are more likely to be ignored than some other types of cancer symptoms. A woman with ovarian cancer may experience bloating of the abdomen as well as general pelvic area pain and pain during intercourse. She might have persistent feelings of indigestion, gas and/or nausea as well as changes in bowel habits. She might lose her appetite and have a persistent lack of energy. She might feel the need to urinate more frequently. The scary thing about all of these symptoms is that they can be explained away as the results of excess stress or depression or as a digestive problem. My friend’s mom experienced all if not all of the above-listed symptoms on and off and failed to recognize them for what they were – ovarian cancer.
My friend’s mom was a caring soul who never met a stranger who did not become her friend. In memory of her, I would like to ask each and every woman who has experienced the above-listed symptoms for more than one week to schedule an appointment with either her primary care physician or gynecologist. It is important to address what might be ovarian cancer symptoms immediately in order to give yourself the best possible chances for survival.
Even if you do not experience the above-mentioned ovarian cancer symptoms, if you know of a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, then it is important to make sure that you get an annual or semi-annual gynecological examination to ensure that you are healthy. In fact, it has been shown that some women are genetically more prone to these types of cancers and it is possible to be screened to find out the likelihood of your getting breast and/or ovarian cancer. It’s not like you want to hear bad news if in fact you have the gene for these types of cancer, but it is my belief that knowledge is power when it comes to fighting back against cancer.