ACTING quickly on symptoms of bloating, stomach pain and feeling full quickly can lead to an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, a study shows.
Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed at a later stage, when survival is lower, and is often thought to present symptoms when it is advanced.
But researchers say signs can occur up to three years before diagnosis, even if they are subtle.
The study showed that “symptom-triggered tests” can detect aggressive early-stage ovarian cancer in a quarter of those affected.
And complete surgical removal of the cancerous tissue was possible in 60% of cases diagnosed in this way.
The researchers said they hope the findings will raise awareness so that more doctors screen for ovarian cancer and encourage women with symptoms to get screened.
Shocking statistics previously revealed that four in five women have no idea that swelling is a sign of ovarian cancer and don’t book a doctor’s appointment about it.
There is no national ovarian cancer screening program in the UK, although a process known as “symptom-triggered testing” was introduced in 2011.
According to these guidelines, women who experience symptoms such as bloating, bowel changes, appetite changes, or abdominal pain should be prioritized for blood tests and ultrasounds.
If the results are abnormal, they should be referred to the hospital within two weeks.
However, Professor Sudha Sundar, from the Pan Birmingham Gynecological Cancer Center in Birmingham, told the PA news agency that the usefulness of the method had “never really been clear”.
She said: “Although this has been around since 2011, it has never been clear whether this is helpful for patients.
“The medical community has always been a little unsure about the usefulness of this, because it is thought that women who have symptoms may probably have advanced cancer.
“What our study showed is that, yes, you can take it out, but you can also take it out sooner.”
Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in 7,495 women every year and there are 4,142 deaths.
But while the majority (93 percent) of women diagnosed with early-stage disease survive more than five years, only 13 percent of those diagnosed with advanced disease do so.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Precision Scores (ROCkeTS), a study that recruited 24 hospitals in the United Kingdom.
Of the 1,741 patients in the accelerated pathway, 119 (seven percent) were diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common – and most lethal – type.
A quarter (25.2 percent) of the group had stages one or two of the disease.
Visible cancerous tissue was completely removed in 73 (61 percent) and almost completely removed in 18 (15 percent).
We hope these articles will make GPs more aware of the need to test for ovarian cancer when they see women with these symptoms, especially older women.
Professor Sudha Sundar
Almost two-thirds of the women – 78 out of 119 – underwent surgery to remove as many cancer cells from their abdomen as possible, while 36 patients received chemotherapy before surgery.
Five of the 119 women did not undergo surgery.
Professor Sundar said: “We know that this particular cancer, which is the most common form of ovarian cancer, tends to spread through the belly.
“A quarter of women were in phase one, which is fantastic, but even when it did spread, what we were able to show is that the spread was moderate in the majority of women.
“The implication of this is that they can do relatively simple surgery to remove the cancer.
“Potentially, we will not only be able to identify women with cancer, but also detect ovarian cancer at a stage where it makes a big difference to the individual.”
Professor Sundar added that she hopes the findings, published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, will raise awareness among both GPs and patients about ovarian cancer.
“We hope these articles will make GPs more aware of the need to test for ovarian cancer when they see women with these symptoms, especially older women,” added Professor Sundar.
“We also hope that women experiencing these symptoms know something is not right and speak to their GP.”
The 5 gynecological cancers and their symptoms
OVARIAN CANCER
Almost 7,500 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year in the UK, making it the sixth most common type of cancer in women.
It is most often diagnosed postmenopausal, but can affect anyone with ovaries at any stage of life.
The five main symptoms of ovarian cancer are:
- Increased abdominal size and persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- Persistent pelvic and abdominal pain
- Unexplained change in bowel habits
- Difficulty eating and feeling full quickly or feeling nauseous
- Needing to pee more regularly
Other symptoms such as back pain, fatigue, weight loss, and pain during sex may also be present.
CERVICAL CANCER
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, which connects the uterus and vagina.
It can affect patients of any age, but the incidence is higher in women between 30 and 34 years old.
Cervical screening programs and HPV vaccines have reduced rates and saved 4,000 lives every year, but there are still around 3,200 new cases in the UK annually.
Cervical cancer symptoms are not always obvious and may not cause any symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage.
But you might notice:
- Unusual bleeding, usually after sex
- Pain and discomfort during sex
- Unpleasant-smelling vaginal discharge
VULVAL CANCER
Vulvar cancer is rare, affecting around 1,350 people a year in the UK – mainly women over 60.
But younger women are being diagnosed, so they should know to watch out for:
- A lasting itch on the external genitalia (vulva)
- Pain or discomfort in the external genitalia
- Thickened, raised, red, white or dark patches on the skin of the external genitalia
- An open sore or visible growth on the genital skin
- A wart on the external genitalia that changes shape or color
- A lump or swelling on the external genitalia
VAGINAL CANCER
Vaginal cancer is even rarer, with 250 diagnoses made annually in the UK.
The most common signs of the disease include:
- Abnormal bleeding, for example. between periods, after menopause
- Foul-smelling discharge or blood stain
- Pain during penetrative sex
- A lump or ingrowth that you or your doctor may feel
- An internal itch that doesn’t go away and pain when urinating
- Persistent pelvic and internal pain
UTERUS CANCER
Cancer of the uterus is sometimes called uterine cancer (the medical name for the uterus is uterus) or endometrial cancer (which is cancer of the lining of the uterus).
Uterine cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK and the most common of the five gynecological cancers, with more than 9,700 people diagnosed every year in the UK.
Its incidence in the UK has increased by 12 per cent in the last 10 years.
The most common symptom of uterine cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding – especially after menopause.
This irregular bleeding may be:
- Vaginal bleeding after menopause
- Bleeding between periods
- Bleeding that is unusually heavy
- Vaginal discharge with streaks of blood (pink, brown, red)
Source: Eve’s Appeal
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