Symptoms of ovarian cancer can seem minor and may go unnoticed, particularly in the early stages of the disease.
The most common symptoms to look out for include:
- Feeling bloated continuously
- Needing to pee more often
- Pain or discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area
- Often feeling full, or losing your appetite
Other slightly less common symptoms include:
- Changes in your bowel movement
- Developing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms suddenly, particularly after the age of 50
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling more tired than usual
Ovarian cancer is more likely to affect women who have been through the menopause and tends to affect women over the age of 50. In rare cases, it can also affect younger women.
Other factors that can increase your risk of ovarian cancer:
- Family history of ovarian or breast cancer
- Using hormone replaced therapy (HRT) – although any increase in cancer is likely to be very small
- Endometritis – a condition where the tissue surrounding the lining of the womb is found outside the womb
- Being overweight or obese
- Smoking tobacco
- Exposure to asbestos
Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy destroy cancer cells in the body.
Radiotherapy does this by using high doses of radiation to kill off the cancerous tumours.
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs specifically designed to kill cancer cells.
Targeted therapies are a group of medicines that change the way cells behave and help to stop the cancer from growing and spreading. The medicines may only be suitable for some types of ovarian cancer and can be given if cancer comes back after a course of chemotherapy.
The two most commonly prescribed targeted therapies used in the treatment of ovarian cancer are:
- Olaparib (Lynparza)
- Niraparib (Zejula)
Professor Jayanta Chatterjee
/ Consultant Gynaecological Surgeon
Obstetrics and gynaecology, Gynaecology
Clinical interests: Endometriosis; Amenorrhoea; Bacterial Vaginosis; Cervical Cancer; Chronic Pelvic Pain; Cystocele; Dysmenorrhoea; Period Pain; Early Pregnancy; Endometrial Cancer; Enterocele; Fallopian Tube Cancer; Fibroids; Heavy Periods; Menorrhagia; Irregular Periods; Late or Missed Period; Menopause; Miscarriage; Ovarian Cancer; Overactive Bladder; Painful Intercourse; Peritoneal Cancer; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS); Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS); Premature Ovarian Failure or Insufficiency; Rectocele; Subfertility; Urinary Retention; Vulval Cancer; Colposcopy; Cancer Prevention and Screening; Cervical (Cone) Biopsy; Dilation and Curettage; Early Pregnancy Scan; Endometrial Ablation; Fibroid Surgery; Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT); Hysterectomy; Hysteroscopy; Laparoscopic Hysterectomy; Oophorectomy (Ovary Removal Surgery); Pelvic Floor Surgery; Pessary (for Prolapse and Incontinence); Robotic Hysterectomy; Smear Test; Tubal Ligation; Video Consultation; Vulvectomy
Languages spoken: Bengali/English/Hindi/Punjabi/Urdu
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