Cancer and Healthy

It is essential for every woman, especially those who are 35 years of age and above to recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Even those women who have just a simple cyst or a benign growth on an ovary should take the proper precautions as this cyst could tend to develop into cancer during the later years. More than 20,000 women are affected by ovarian cancer every year. The number of women who suffer form breast cancer is about ten times more.

Here is some basic information on the various symptoms of ovarian cancer:

The screening techniques that exist are inconsistent at best, making detection of ovarian cancer a very difficult task. Making it even more complex is the fact that ovarian cancer symptoms are often unclear and can be confused easily with other diseases, often leading to its misdiagnosis. Because of its lower rate of incidence, ovarian cancer is often sidelined while a lot of attention is paid to the diagnosis and treatment of the more prolific forms of cancer. While this is expected, it by no means diminishes the threat that ovarian cancer poses.

Some of the more common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

Chronic fatigue
Unusual changes in menstruation
Feeling of pain or intense pressure in the abdomen, pelvis area, back or legs
Overly frequent urination
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea
Indigestion

Most of these ovarian cancer symptoms are also typical of many other medical conditions, making the disease very difficult to diagnose. In light of this, doctors often use risk factors to determine the presence of ovarian cancer.

An individual has a higher risk factor for contracting ovarian cancer symptoms if two or more than two close family members including a sibling has had ovarian or breast cancer or if any family member has had a history of breast cancer before the age of fifty. Genetics are another major risk factor for ovarian cancer. An inherited altered gene, which is still not considered a confirmed symptom is nevertheless a high risk factor and can contribute to ovarian cancer symptoms.

As with many other cancers, the earliest ovarian cancer symptoms are almost always unnoticeable. Surveys that have been carried out among the general population of women in the United States, reveal some alarming statistics:

The risk of any woman developing cancer during her lifetime is 1.48%.

Estimates indicate that more than 22,000 women are likely to develop ovarian cancer in 2007. Of these, more than 15,000 are likely to succumb to the disease. These numbers are not inclusive of those women who are genetically predisposed to ovarian cancer and are at a higher risk of developing the disease.