Kim Neace: What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer? | Your answers to cancer

However, only about 20% of cases of ovarian cancer are at an early stage. It is important that women become aware of their own personal risk factor, the signs and symptoms related to ovarian cancer and the steps to take to prevent and diagnose quickly.

Ovarian cancer can cause many symptoms and women are more likely to experience them if the disease has spread. According to the Women's Cancer Foundation, the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are abdominal bloating, pelvic pain, abdominal pain, urinary urgency, satiety, and weight loss. Since these symptoms are not specific to ovarian cancer and may be present in many benign medical conditions or cancers of other organs, it is important that women pay attention to the frequency and the severity of these symptoms. In ovarian cancer, these symptoms tend to persist and make a change from normal. The Women's Cancer Foundation recommends that any woman whose symptoms occur daily for two to three weeks should consult a doctor, preferably a gynecologist.

Knowing the symptoms of ovarian cancer is important because the symptoms are so vague and may not manifest until the disease occurs at a later stage. Although there is no effective screening method, there are some things that women can do to prevent ovarian cancer or help detect ovarian cancer at an early stage.

In addition to knowing the signs and symptoms, an annual pelvic exam is recommended. A pelvic exam is not the same as the Pap test. Therefore, women should visit their gynecologist every year and not just every three to five years.

Knowing your personal risk of ovarian cancer is another way to prevent and detect early diseases. A woman with a medium risk of ovarian cancer has no family or personal history of breast, colon or ovarian cancer, has not had of pregnancy problems and has never followed hormone replacement therapy.

The risk for a woman may be increased if she has a family history of breast, colon or ovarian cancer, used hormone replacement therapy, a history of endometriosis, a relative with breast cancer. breast or colonist before the age of 50 Jewish Heritage (Ashkenazi).

Genetic mutations place a woman at the highest risk of ovarian cancer. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations are associated with breast and ovarian cancer. If a woman or a family member has genetic tests demonstrating that any of them has a genetic mutation, this greatly increases her risk of ovarian cancer and others. types of cancer and requires additional screening and cancer prevention methods.

For more information on the risk of ovarian cancer, contact Kim Neace, Oncology Nurse at the Hope Cancer Center Center at 805-346-3469.

Join us on September 26th at 5pm at the Mission Hope Boardroom for a special information evening as Ovarian Cancer Defender / Educator Cristina Martins Sinco discusses awareness of ovarian cancer and breast cancer. genetic risk, followed by a small-scale project led by Laura Badenell. Reservations are required, so call 805-219-4673 to reserve your place.