The New York Times is reporting that cancer experts have identified a set of health problems that may be symptoms of ovarian cancer. They are:
- Bloating
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
- Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
Women are strongly encouraged to see their doctor, preferably their gynecologist if they have been experiencing these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks. These symptoms and signs have been identified in hopes that patients and doctors will become more aware of early symptoms, lead to earlier diagnosis and, perhaps, save lives, or at least prolong survival.
However, it is too soon to know if this new screening method will improve rates of early detection or lead to a flood of diagnostic tests or, in a worst case scenario, unnecessary operations. Yet, cancer experts believe a more aggressive approach might prove fruitful to detecting ovarian cancer early. If the disease, one of the deadlier types of cancer due to late diagnosis, is detected early (Stage I) it is considered 90% curable.
The purpose of these findings is not to frighten women, but to make them and their physicians more alert to these symptoms if they arise suddenly and with intense frequency.
Laura Clement
Stiefel
Esprit
I heard about this on the news this morning when i was getting ready for work. They were talking about how they were reluctant to release the information since the symptoms are so "general". I think it's important for every woman to be aware.
1they do seem quite general. im a little bit of a hypochondriac and i dont want to start worrying too much.
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