Ovarian cancer forms in the tissues of the ovaries — two female reproductive glands that produce eggs and hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
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Almost 70 percent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in late stages, like stage 3 or 4, which drastically lowers survival rates.
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“One reason for the late diagnosis of ovarian cancer is the lack of effective screening combined with symptoms that are often nonspecific and attributed to other non-gynecologic conditions,” says Mitchell Clark, MD, MPH, a gynecologic oncologist for Yale Cancer Center in Stamford, Connecticut, and an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine.
Key symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
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- Abdominal or pelvic pain, swelling, or pressure
- Urinary urgency (needing to pee suddenly or frequently)
- Difficulty eating enough
- Lump in the pelvic area
- Gas, bloating, and constipation
- Vaginal bleeding
Healthcare providers don’t always suspect ovarian cancer when patients report these symptoms, says Dr. Clark. “Studies show that prior to meeting with a gynecologic oncologist, ovarian cancer patients are referred for two to four other specialties before ovarian cancer is considered.”
Your provider may check for ovarian cancer sooner if you have risk factors like a family history, genetic markers (like BRCA1 or BRCA2), or endometriosis. Your risk may also increase if you have never been pregnant, take hormone replacement therapy, are overweight, or have gone through menopause.
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Some experts say screening doesn’t help. “There’s no evidence in both normal and high-risk patients [demonstrates] that either ultrasounds or blood tests are effective for improving survival, and there may be harm from false positives from testing leading to unnecessary surgery,” says Dale Shepard, MD, PhD, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute.
While no screening test for ovarian cancer is routinely recommended, experts are studying methods like pelvic exams, transvaginal ultrasounds, and blood tests.
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