Turn Up the Volume on a Silent Killer

That pesky visit to your doctor for a well-woman exam comes every year like clockwork. We drag our feet, dread the day, but in the end grin and bear it, all for good reason. Aside from screening for breast and cervical cancer, these exams could prevent you from being one of the more than 15,000 women who will die from ovarian cancer this year.

September marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Edward Yeomans, M.D., from Texas Tech Physicians of Lubbock Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, reminds women that while there is no screening for ovarian cancer, a yearly check-up with a gynecologist often reveals the problem.

“There’s a group of symptoms that women complain of such as pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary frequency or urgency and abdominal bloating,” Yeomans said. “Or what we call early satiety, which is the feeling of fullness when you’ve only eaten a small amount, or difficulty eating.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, ovarian cancer accounts for approximately 3 percent of all cancers in women and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the U.S. Ovarian epithelial cancer, which begins in the tissue that covers the ovaries, is the most common type of ovarian cancer.

Early ovarian cancer may not cause obvious symptoms, but as the cancer grows, they may appear.

Common symptoms include:

• Pressure or pain the abdomen, pelvis, back or legs
• A swollen or bloated abdomen
• Nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation or diarrhea
• Tiredness

Less common symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Frequent urination
• Unusual vaginal bleeding (heavy bleeding or bleeding after menopause)

Many of these symptoms may not be due to cancer, but women should take precautions and visit a physician for a yearly exam. For more information about ovarian cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute website.