Ovarian Cancer (cont.)
Symptoms
Early ovarian cancer may not cause obvious symptoms. But, as the cancer
grows, symptoms may include:
Less common symptoms include:
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.
Next: How is staging for ovarian cancer determined? »
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