The Silent Cancer: Why Symptoms Are Often Missed
Ovarian cancer has earned the name "silent cancer" because its early symptoms are non-specific and often attributed to more common conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, bloating or urinary infections. As a result, 75% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage (III or IV), when the disease has spread beyond the ovary. Recognising the warning signs is potentially life-saving.
Warning Signs
Persistent bloating: Abdominal distension that does not come and go but persists for weeks. Pelvic or abdominal pain: New onset, persistent, not related to menstruation. Difficulty eating or early satiety: Feeling full very quickly with small amounts of food. Urinary symptoms: Increased frequency or urgency not explained by infection. Change in bowel habits: Constipation, diarrhoea or changes not explained by diet. Unexplained fatigue: Persistent tiredness disproportionate to activity. Unexplained weight changes. Back pain: Persistent low back pain without musculoskeletal cause.
The Key Question: Are They New and Persistent?
Most of these symptoms are individually common. What raises concern is when they are: new (not your usual pattern), persistent (occurring more than 12 days per month), and represent a change from your normal health. If you experience several of these symptoms persistently, seek medical evaluation promptly.
What to Do If You Have These Symptoms
See your GP or gynaecologist. Request a transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 blood test as first-line investigations. If the ultrasound shows a pelvic mass or CA-125 is elevated, urgent referral to a gynaecological oncology team is warranted. Do not wait. Early diagnosis saves lives.
High-Risk Women: Enhanced Monitoring
Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, or Lynch syndrome should be followed in specialised programmes with annual transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125. Prophylactic risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy should be discussed after childbearing is complete.
Do you have symptoms that concern you? At Quenet Torrent Institute we offer rapid evaluation by expert gynaecological oncologists. Request an urgent consultation.