Ovarian Cancer
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options.
Helping you to understand
At Gynae Solution, we will use plain language to explain what you have, what the treatment options are and what your prognosis is in terms you can understand.
What are the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer can cause a number of different symptoms. Some of the most common include:
- Feeling bloated
- Having a swollen tummy
- Painful and uncomfortable areas in the pelvic and abdomen area
- Loss of appetite or feeling full after a small amount of food
- Getting the urgent need for a wee or needing to wee more regularly
- Indigestion or feeling sick
- Change in bowel activity
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Back pain
- Increased tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss
If you have the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, it is important that you go and see your GP so that they can do the relevant tests.
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of women’s cancers. The ovaries are responsible for storing the eggs.
How is Ovarian Cancer diagnosed?
Here are some of the different tests and scans that are used to diagnose ovarian cancer:
- CT scan – this can help to form an image of the ovaries and show any abnormalities
- X ray – this can be done to check if the cancer is in any over parts of the body
- Biopsy – part of the tissue and cells are tested for the presence of cancer cells
- Laparoscopy – a small camera is inserted into the tummy and then using to examine the ovaries for any abnormalities
If it is thought that you have ovarian cancer, one or more of these tests may be used to help determine how far the cancer has spread.
Listening to you
It's important to find a consultant who will listen to your concerns to help explain and answer any questions you might have.
How is Ovarian Cancer treated?
There are a number of different treatments available for ovarian cancer, however the treatment you are offered will depend on the type of cancer, general health and if you still want to have children.
The aim of the treatment is to remove the cancer if possible. This is usually done with a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. Here are some of the other treatment options:
- Targeted therapies – PARP inhibitors, Angiogenesis inhibitors, MEK inhibitors
- Intraperitoneal chemotherapy
- Clinical trials
- Radiation therapy to isolated recurrences especially in the pelvic area
- Complementary therapies