Ovarian Cancer: The Silent Killer

Ovarian cancer is often called the "silent" killer because many times there are no symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. One-third of American women will get some form of cancer in their lifetime and approximately one and one half percent of those cases will be cancer involving one or both ovaries.

Early symptoms of ovarian cancer are often mild, making this disease difficult to detect. Some early symptoms may include:

An unusual feeling of fullness or discomfort in the pelvic region
Unexplainable indigestion, gas, or bloating that is not relieved with over-the-counter antacids
Pain during sexual intercourse
Abnormal bleeding
Swelling and pain of the abdomen
Most often these symptoms do not indicate ovarian cancer
However, if you experience them you should discuss them with your clinician.
Early detection of ovarian cancer offers a 90 percent cure rate. Sadly, a lack of symptoms from this silent disease means that about 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases will have spread to the abdomen by the time they are detected and, unfortunately, most patients die within five years.

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