Symptoms

Historically ovarian cancer was called the “silent killer” because symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of cure was poor. However, recent studies have shown this term is untrue and that the following symptoms are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population.

These symptoms include:

Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

Take Action if any symptoms last more that 2 - 3 weeks.
Experts suggest a combination pelvic / rectal exam,
CA125 blood test, and a trans-vaginal sonogram.

Chances of survival are greatly increased if initial surgery
is performed by a certified Gynecological Oncologist.

Facts about Ovarian Cancer

• •  Ovarian cancer, the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers, is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women.
• •  Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 out of 72 women.
• •  The American Cancer Society is predicting an increase in incidence and deaths.
• •  Estimated new cases in the United States at 21,000 incidences.  (est 21,550 during 2009)
• •  An estimated 15,000.American women will die from ovarian cancer annually.   (est 14,600 OvCa deaths in 2009)
• •  Currently, 50% of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die from it within five years; among African American women only 48% survive five years or more.
• •  Survival rate of ovarian cancer remains at 41%.
• •  Ovarian cancer is very treatable when it is detected early, but the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries.
• •  In cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries, more than 90% of women will survive longer than five years.
• •  Less than 20% of ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in the early stages.
• •  When diagnosed in advanced stages, the chance of five-year survival is only about 15-20%.

Ovarian cancer may be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are easily confused with other diseases, and because there is no reliable, easy-to-administer screening tool.

Raising public awareness of ovarian cancer by educating doctors and women about the disease could save lives.  Many people do not know that ovarian cancer often presents with the following symptoms: abdominal pressure, bloating, or discomfort; nausea, indigestion, or gas; constipation, diarrhea, or frequent urination; abnormal bleeding; unusual fatigue; unexplained weight loss or gain; shortness of breath.  Early recognition of symptoms is the best way to save women's lives.  Without increased education about ovarian cancer, many women and their doctors will continue to ignore or misinterpret the symptoms of the disease.  Recognition of women who are at higher risk for developing ovarian cancer is also important.

• •  Much more needs to be learned about what causes ovarian cancer and how to prevent it. There are still large gaps in knowledge on key scientific aspects of the disease.
• •  90% of women diagnosed do not have a family history that puts them at higher risk.
• •  There is still no reliable and easy-to-administer screening test like the Pap smear for cervical cancer and the mammogram for breast cancer.
• •  Ovarian cancer research is drastically under-funded. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent close to $70 million in 2001 on ovarian cancer research, $407.5 million on breast cancer research, $150.3 million on lung cancer research, and $136.5 million on prostate cancer.
• •  Although one-third as many women die of ovarian cancer as die of breast cancer, NCI spent only one-seventh as much money for ovarian cancer as for breast cancer research.
• •  Screening Information can be found at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre 
• •  Information http://www.ovacome.org/ovacomeppt.pps (PowerPoint)

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