Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Online

Early Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer – In this video, doctors offer guidelines about the early detection of ovarian cancer and raise awareness of symptoms. This video emphasizes that most people suffering bloating or similar symptoms will not have ovarian cancer, but that any ongoing symptoms mean you should seek medical advice.

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Video 1: Ovarian Cancer Symptoms – An interview from Your Cancer Today with Dr. Barbara Goff, who is the Director of the University of Washington’s Gynecologic Cancer Division. This video explains the symptoms that women – and their doctors – should be on the alert for: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and urinary symptoms. Dr Goff emphasizes that if these symptoms persist, women should consult their doctor.

Video 2: Ovarian Cancer: Signs and Symptoms – A gynecologist oncologist, T Scott Jennings, talks about some of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer: persistent abdominal and pelvic pressure, trouble eating a full meal without feeling full, and bladder pressure.

Video 3: Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer – A video produced based on guidelines from the Gynaecologic Cancer Foundation about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, tackling the outdated idea that ovarian cancer is a “silent killer”. This video mentions Dr Goff (from the previous clip) and contains much of the same information.

Video 4: Notebook: Ovarian Cancer (CBS News) – Katie Couric emphasises the importance of raising awareness about ovarian cancer, and recognising early symptoms (like bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and feeling full quickly) so that the disease can be caught and treated quickly.

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What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

One of the reasons that ovarian cancer is more deadly than other forms of cancer is because it often goes undiagnosed until too late. The early symptoms of ovarian cancer are usually mild, and many women don’t have symptoms when the cancer first begins to develop. Common symptoms include pain or a bloated feeling in the lower abdomen – something which women will often attribute to other causes.

Other symptoms can include some of these – it is very unlikely that all will be present for any individual woman, so see your doctor if you are suffering from one or more of these.

Symptoms related to eating and digestion:

• Losing your appetite
• Indigestion
• Nausea – feeling or being sick
• Having difficulty eating, or feeling full very quickly

Symptoms related to body weight and shape:

• Losing weight unexpectedly
• Gaining weight unexpectedly
• Abdominal swelling, or pressure or pain in the abdomen

Symptoms related to the pelvic area:

• Pressure or pain in the pelvis
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding (very heavy periods, or post-menopausal bleeding) – this is one of the rarer symptoms
• Irregular periods
• Needing to urinate frequently, or having difficulty urinating – this is one of the rarer symptoms
• Suffering from constipation or diarrhoea
• Experiencing pain during sexual intercourse

Symptoms related to the whole body:

• Shortness of breath – this is one of the rarer symptoms
• Pressure or pain in the back or legs
• Pain in the side

Your symptoms will be more pronounced if the cancer has developed further.

Photos by Sean Dreilinger

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