Ovarian Cancer - Symptoms
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 22,430 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 and 15,280 women will die from it.
Do you recognize some of the common symptoms of ovarian cancer?
| » | Pressure or bloating in your abdomen |
| » | Constant and progressive changes in bowel or bladder patterns |
| » | Persistent digestive problems |
| » | Ongoing excessive fatigue |
| » | Abnormal bleeding |
| » | Pain during intercourse |
Ovarian cancer symptoms are often subtle and easily confused with symptoms for other disorders. Frequently, women don't recognize the symptoms, and too often doctors lack sufficient awareness to effectively diagnose the disease. The tragic result is that too many women never have a chance against ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is very treatable when it is detected early, but the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until it is too late.
| » | In cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries, over 91% of women will survive longer than five years. |
| » | Only 24% of ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in the beginning stages. |
| » | When diagnosed in the late stages, the chance of five year survival is only 24-28%. |
| » | Ovarian cancer may be difficult to diagnose both because symptoms are vague and easily confused with other diseases, and because there is no reliable, simple to administer screening tool. |