Ovarian Cyst Cancer - How Do I Know?

Ovarian cyst cancer has always been difficult to detect as the presence of cysts seemed to not cause any physical symptoms, and so the cancer was often only discovered late into its development. The number 1 question on the mind of ovarian cysts sufferers is "Do I have cyst cancer?"

I'm glad to inform you that less than 1 in 10 of ovarian cysts is cancerous. In fact, the latest research has shown that cysts are often quite harmless. That been said it is vital for you to understand the particular type of cyst that you have to enable you to understand the likelihood of it being cancerous. So, if you think you have an cyst, please go see your doctor as only a doctor can tell you for sure if you do in fact have a cyst.

The most common types of cysts are little fluid filled sacs that form when the follicle that surrounds the egg either fails to dissolve after the eggs is released or fails to release the egg altogether. The likeliness of this happening is relatively high, considering how many eggs are contained within ovaries combined with a monthly release of egg during a woman's menstrual cycle. This will occur at least once in most women. This in itself is not something to worry about, as often the follicle will eventually dissolve without causing any harm.

However, if the follicle does not dissolve, it can cause complications, such as ovarian torsion. Ovarian torsion often causes discomfort and a lot of abdominal pain.

If you experience either of these, either the follicle not dissolving or letting the egg be released, rest assured that these problems can be easily treated and also they are not causes of cancerous cysts. At the end of this article I show you a natural treatment for these complications that is less intrusive than other forms of treatment.

The other types of cysts that are less common are ones that contain solid matter, commonly known as complex ovarian cysts. Let's be clear and state that while not all cysts that have solid material in them lead to ovarian cyst cancer, the presence of these solid materials does increase the chances that they might be cancerous.

These complex ovarian cysts are treated best through surgery as they can be completely removed. The surgical procedure used for this is 'laparoscopy'. This form of surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), also known as keyhole surgery, to cause as little disruption as possible through small incisions. However, if you have a complex cyst with a diameter of 2.5 inches/6 centimetres or larger, the laparoscopy procedure cannot be used and traditional abdominal surgery is required.

Thankfully, only a very small number of women suffer from ovarian cysts that can be classified as complex and therefore need surgical operations.

If you believe you may have a form of ovarian cyst, the most common symptoms women suffer from are;

bloating
pelvic or abdominal pain
trouble eating or feeling full quickly
urinary symptoms, such as urgent or frequently needing to go

These symptoms could easily be caused by things other than an ovarian cyst, however if any of the above occur suddenly, quickly become more severe, or are consistent over a long period of time then it is advisable to see your doctor as soon as possible as they can carry out further checks for cysts; the earlier the better.