Ovarian cancer often goes unnoticed for a long time and is often discovered late. The problem: In the lower abdomen, the tumor has plenty of room to grow and causes little discomfort. Only when it is so large that it pushes on other organs or forms metastases in other organs, abdominal discomfort or digestive problems occur. Sometimes women notice a sudden increase in their waist circumference.
No ovarian cancer symptoms: late diagnosis
The treachery of tumors on the ovaries is that they do not cause any symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Only in the advanced course of the disease causes ovarian cancer problems. Only in 29 percent of cases is the tumor discovered when it is still confined to the ovarian tissue (stage one of the so-called FIGO classification). This can affect one ovary or both ovaries. In 59 percent of patients, the disease is only diagnosed when the tumor has already formed metastases in the abdominal cavity (FIGO III).
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms: Non-specific signs
Once metastases are found in the abdominal cavity in women with ovarian cancer, they feel nonspecific symptoms. These symptoms are not typical of malignant ovarian tumors and may also be associated with other diseases.
The most important signs are:
- Pressure sensation in the lower abdomen, possibly accompanied by nausea
- General indigestion, for example, feeling of fullness, loss of appetite, flatulence, increased urination, constipation (the tumor may press on neighboring organs, such as the intestine or bladder)
- Inefficiency, fatigue and exhaustion
- Production of excessive amounts of ascites (mediz .: ascites), so that the belly swells – despite constant or even falling weight
- Bleeding outside the normal menstrual period, bleeding after menopause (rare ovarian cancer symptoms)
- In the advanced stage may be added to fever and night sweats
Similar symptoms also occur in cancerous tumors, which form as secondary tumors of other cancers on the ovaries, such as the Krukenberg tumor. The origin is a stomach cancer.
Ovarian cancer symptoms: swollen lymph nodes
In the third stage of the cancer, metastases can develop in the lymph nodes. Because the cells of the cancerous tumor get into the tissue fluid and are filtered out by the lymph nodes. They settle there and multiply. The result: The lymph nodes swell. This usually causes no complaints. However, the lymph nodes can swell up to several centimeters in diameter due to the proliferation of cancer cells. They are then visible to the naked eye or can be felt. In some cases, only a thickened lymph node leads to the diagnosis of cancer. If painless lymph node swelling occurs for no apparent reason and does not return after a few weeks, you should consult a doctor.
Ovarian cancer symptoms: metastases outside the abdominal cavity
In cases of advanced ovarian cancer, the tumor has left the abdominal cavity (FIGO IV) .These symptoms are caused by distant metastases in other organs.Lung metastases often remain asymptomatic because they usually colonize the periphery of the lungs, but they can also be persistent Cough attacks, hemoptysis, or pneumonia occur in distant organs, such as the liver, which cause weight loss, loss of appetite, nocturnal sweating, or nausea.