What Are the Early Warning Signs of Ovarian Cancer?

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Am I suffering from the silent killer?"This is a very scary question that all women need to ask themselves at one point in their lives. The reason why this is called the silent killer is because you do not get to know that the cancerous cells have multiplied abnormally in your ovaries to spread to the rest of the body. It is only in the later stages that you get to know that you have become a victim, frightening isn't it. Nevertheless, you do not have to get dismayed; there are number of symptoms you can identify to help prevent it from advancing to the later, more deadly stages. This cancer of the ovaries is curable, when it is caught in the 1st stage. So, if you are one of the 55 women in the USA, showing these particular ovarian cancer symptoms, make an appointment with the doctor immediately.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

First of all you have to remember that these early symptoms are silent, You must be aware of your body and these signs because they are not going to manifest themselves in any overt displays of pain. So it is extremely necessary that you keep "in touch" with what your body is telling you.

· Have you noticed a particular heaviness in the solar plexus and pelvic region?

· Have you found a bloody discharge and vaginal bleeding appearing at odd times, apart from the normal bleeding of your menstrual cycle?

· Do you feel nauseous or feel bloated?

· Are you suffering from a lack of appetite and a sense of lethargy?

· Have you gained or lost weight drastically?

· Does your back ache for absolutely no justifiable reason or cause?

· Has your abdomen swollen up, and is there a change in the bowel movements?

· Do you find that intercourse is painful?

· Are you finding difficulty in breathing?

These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself when you are wondering if there have been any changes to your body that might indicate an early signs of ovarian cancer. It is extremely essential that you go and see a doctor as soon as one or more of these symptoms manifest themselves. In fact, ovarian cancer has a better chance (70 -- 80% chance) of being cured by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, if it is caught early. The metastasis or spread of the disease can make the percentage chances of curing ovarian cancer to lower down to about 30%. So it is necessary that you know about the symptoms of possible ovarian cancer and get a doctor's opinion immediately.

Here are some of the risk factors which you may want to look for, which makes you more vulnerable to ovarian cancer.

· Have you had a long history of ovarian cysts?

· Is there a history of ovarian cancer in the family?

· Are you postmenopausal and still getting ovarian cysts?

These are some of the risk factors, which are going to contribute to your chances of getting ovarian cancer. So it is absolutely necessary to listen to what your body is conveying to you, silently. Recognize the early ovarian cancer signs and symptoms and get a complete check and ovarian biopsy done. It is only then, you can be effectively treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, if necessary.