Ovarian cancer is notorious for causing very minimal symptoms in the early stages but commonly occurs after menopause (after 50 years of age) and symptoms can be non-specific such as:
Because these symptoms are so non-specific being aware and alert to changes in the body is essential. If you have any of these symptoms that are persistent you should seek immediate medical help with your GP.
Unusual symptoms include persistent vaginal discharge, unusual or erratic vaginal bleeding, per rectal bleeding, lump in the groin or neck (enlarged lymph glands), persistent cough or shortness of breath.
An ultrasound scan and a blood test (CA125) can often give a provisional diagnosis, but the diagnosis is only confirmed after biopsy (usually after removal of any ovarian lesion). An MRI scan will often give more specific and detailed information before surgery. It also helps in planning the
management.
Cervical smear test will NOT detect or rule out ovarian cancer! It is aimed at detecting cervical pre-cancerous changes and is nothing to do with ovaries. There is unfortunately no reliable test to screen for ovarian cancer. At present there is no national screening programme. The UKCTOC trial, which was the largest randomised trial in screening for ovarian cancer, suggested multimodal screening using blood test for CA 125, using Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA) and transvaginal ultrasound at timely intervals (dependant on individual status) as an effective method. Further data is awaited. 10-15% of tubo-ovarian cancer is genetically linked. If you are found to be carrying a gene that predisposes you to ovarian cancer, you may be offered risk reducing surgery to remove ovaries at an appropriate age. Genetic screening is another method to determine the risk and may help with appropriate counselling and prevention.
