Unlike many other cancers, ovarian cancer is often difficult to catch and treat in its early stages because the early symptoms of ovarian cancer are often diagnosed as other, harmless conditions. Late ovarian cancer symptoms often become so severe that women consult their doctors, only to find that they have ovarian cancer and it has already spread outside the ovaries. Each year, over 15,000 American women die from ovarian cancer, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women according to the American Cancer Society.
Considerations
Since about 75 percent of women with ovarian cancer often do not realize that anything is wrong until they experience late ovarian cancer symptoms, early ovarian cancer detection is rare. Once late ovarian cancer symptoms are detected, the cancer may have spread to the pelvis, making survival rates between 60 and 80 percent. If ovarian cancer spreads outside the pelvis, survival rates plummet to 10 to 30 percent.
Features
Late ovarian cancer symptoms include abdominal pain and bloating, a persistent feeling of fullness, weight loss or gain, vaginal bleeding, fatigue, and the need to urinate frequently.
Identification
Most ovarian cancer cases occur in post-menopausal women, often over age 60. These women, as well as those with a family history of ovarian cancer, should be especially aware of early and late ovarian cancer symptoms.
Potential
Ovarian cancer survival rates have increased in recent years due to greater access to information on potential early and late ovarian cancer symptoms, and medical experts believe that survival rates will continue to rise as more women detect ovarian cancer symptoms and receive early treatment.
Effects
Once late ovarian cancer symptoms are detected and the cancer is diagnosed, treatment options vary by age and the stage of the cancer, but usually include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
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