According to an article from studyfinds.com, ovarian cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages, meaning that many patients experience a delayed diagnosis when the disease has become more advanced and difficult to treat. Scientists believed that this was because ovarian cancer didn’t cause symptoms early on, but a recent study determined that certain symptoms could allow for earlier detection.
About the Study
The study selected women with four distinct symptoms:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain/discomfort
- Feeling fully easily
- Frequent urge to urinate
From a period lasting from June 2015 to July 2022, the study team enlisted 2,596 women from age 16-90 from 24 different hospitals in the UK. These participants were then instructed to monitor for the symptoms listed above. The women that reported one or more of these symptoms repeatedly or persistently were fast-tracked to a visit with a gynecologist.
A total of 1,741 of the women were ultimately fast-tracked. Ultimately, 12% of them would be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with 6.8% of this group getting diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, which is regarded as the most dangerous form and has been linked to 90% of deaths from this cancer. Twenty-five percent of the women diagnosed with this form received their diagnosis when the disease was in its early stages, giving them a better opportunity for treatments, which included surgery (95%) and chemotherapy (77%). Sixty-one percent of these patients experienced complete cytoreduction, in which the tumor appeared to have been destroyed.
Overall, the scientists found that the method used in this study was more effective at detecting cancer than a blanket screening of people that had no reports of symptoms. Overall, the team determined that the approach led to earlier detection, which could improve treatment outcomes.
While not all women are aware of this cancer’s symptoms, spreading awareness about four of the more distinctive symptoms could help prompt people to get tested.
About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer can appear on or within the ovary. Ovarian cancer rarely causes distinctive symptoms in its early stages, so many patients are often diagnosed with advanced disease. The risk of getting ovarian cancer is connected to how long a woman has ovulated during her life; women who ovulate for longer periods are at greater risk. Late menopause or early puberty are risk factors, as are not having children, fertility medication, certain genetic variants and mutations (such as BRCA mutations), and exposure to talc, herbicides, and pesticides. Some symptoms of ovarian cancer include fatigue, bloating, a feeling of fullness, loss of appetite, indigestion, abdominal swelling, and pelvic pain. Treatment can include chemo, radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy. There are many different kinds of ovarian cancer. Five-year survival rate is 45 percent in the US. To learn more about ovarian cancer, click here.
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Last modified: September 6, 2024
