Most often these symptoms are not due to cancer, but only a doctor can tell
for sure. Any woman with these symptoms should tell her doctor.
Diagnosis
If you have a symptom that suggests ovarian cancer, your doctor must find out
whether it is due to cancer or to some other cause. Your doctor may ask about
your personal and family medical history.
You may have one or more of the following tests. Your doctor can explain more
about each test:
Physical exam: Your doctor checks general signs of health. Your doctor
may press on your abdomen to check for tumors or an abnormal buildup of fluid (ascites).
A sample of fluid can be taken to look for ovarian cancer cells.
Pelvic exam: Your doctor feels the ovaries and nearby organs for lumps
or other changes in their shape or size. A Pap test is part of a normal pelvic
exam, but it is not used to collect ovarian cells. The Pap test detects cervical
cancer. The Pap test is not used to diagnose ovarian cancer.
Blood tests: Your doctor may order blood tests. The lab may check the
level of several substances, including CA-125. CA-125 is a substance found on
the surface of ovarian cancer cells and on some normal tissues. A high CA-125
level could be a sign of cancer or other conditions. The CA-125 test is not used
alone to diagnose ovarian cancer. This test is approved by the Food and Drug
Administration for monitoring a woman's response to ovarian cancer treatment and
for detecting its return after treatment.
Ultrasound: The ultrasound device uses sound waves that people cannot
hear. The device aims sound waves at organs inside the pelvis. The waves bounce
off the organs. A computer creates a picture from the echoes. The picture may
show an ovarian tumor. For a better view of the ovaries, the device may be
inserted into the vagina (transvaginal ultrasound).
Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of tissue or fluid to look for cancer
cells. Based on the results of the blood tests and ultrasound, your doctor may
suggest surgery (a laparotomy) to remove tissue and fluid from the pelvis and
abdomen. Surgery is usually needed to diagnose ovarian cancer. To learn more
about surgery, see the "Treatment" section.
Although most women have a laparotomy for diagnosis, some women have a
procedure known as laparoscopy. The doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube (a
laparoscope) through a small incision in the abdomen. Laparoscopy may be used to
remove a small, benign cyst or an early ovarian cancer. It may also be used to
learn whether cancer has spread.
A pathologist uses a microscope to look for cancer cells in the tissue or
fluid. If ovarian cancer cells are found, the pathologist describes the grade of
the cells. Grades 1, 2, and 3 describe how abnormal the cancer cells look. Grade
1 cancer cells are not as likely as to grow and spread as grade 3 cells.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled, sac-like structures within an ovary. Causes of ovarian cysts are numerous. Symptoms of an ovarian cysts may be pain in the belly or pelvis. Treatment of an ovarian cysts depends on type of cyst.
Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is most commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Some of the other causes of ascites include portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and pancreatitis. The most common symptoms include increased abdominal girth and size, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the cause of ascites.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
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