Ovarian cancer symptoms & treatment

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and occurs when cancer develops in one or both ovaries, the glands responsible for forming and storing a woman's eggs (ova). Ovarian cancer may also begin in the fallopian tubes.

Advocate Cancer Institute offers lifelong treatment for women with gynecologic cancers and precancerous conditions. From diagnostic testing to advanced treatment options, our gynecologic oncology physicians and nurses provide the skilled and compassionate care you deserve.

Find an Advocate Cancer Institute near you.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer has been called a “silent disease” because its early symptoms often go unnoticed. It’s often not diagnosed until it has started to grow.

Ovarian cancer symptoms vary among the different types of ovarian cancer. Four of the main symptoms include bloating, difficulty eating, urinary frequency, and pelvic or abdominal pain. Other symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:

• Back pain
• Nausea or indigestion
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of appetite
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Unexplained weight loss or gain

Pain and ovarian cancer

Symptoms of ovarian cancer such as pain can be vague. You may not have pain in the early stages. If you do, the pain may fit these descriptions:

• Located in your pelvis – the area between your hips
• Constant – it doesn’t come and go
• Feels like acid reflux, a dull ache or a feeling of pressure
• May be on both sides or only one side

Even if your pain matches these descriptions, it may still be caused by something else. Check with your doctor just to be sure as not checking may increase your risk. Ovarian cancer in advanced stages has a poor survival rate.

Risk factors of ovarian cancer

Although there’s no proven way to prevent ovarian cancer, you may be able to lower your risk by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats, as well as by taking birth control pills which contain estrogen and progesterone. Risk factors for ovarian cancer include:

• Age over 55
• Starting periods before age 12
• Never being pregnant
• Infertility
• Use of estrogen replacement therapy after menopause
• Use of certain fertility drugs
• Family or personal history of breast, uterine or colorectal cancer

Black women are less likely to develop ovarian cancer than White women.

Being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent makes a person more likely to carry mutations in breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The risk of ovarian cancer is increased by these genes.

Detection & diagnosis of ovarian cancer

To check for ovarian cancer, your doctor will first perform a pelvic exam of your ovaries and other organs to check for abnormal sizes or shapes. Another way to look for a tumor is use of an ultrasound probe inserted into your vagina (transvaginal ultrasound). If your doctor finds a tumor, you’ll need testing to determine if it’s ovarian cancer.

Tests for ovarian cancer may include:

• MRI: Imaging test that may be used to determine if a tumor is cancerous.
• CT scan: CT scans can find a tumor and show its precise size, location and connection to other nearby tissue.
• CA-125 test: This blood test checks for elevated levels of a substance that could indicate cancer (also called CA-125 serum testing).
• Laparoscopy: This minimally invasive procedure lets your doctor view any suspicious growths or take a small tissue sample (biopsy).
• Biopsy: With a biopsy, a small tissue sample is removed for testing. Laparoscopy, traditional surgery or a needle inserted through your skin may be used to take a biopsy.
• Genetic testing: This form of cancer screening checks for hereditary genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are commonly associated with ovarian and breast cancer. It’s generally only done for people whose risk factors indicate a need.

Learn more about ovarian cancer screening & diagnosis.

Treatments, therapies & support for ovarian cancer

If you’re diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you have some of Illinois’ best experts by your side. Our multidisciplinary team will work closely with you to create a personal cancer treatment plan, which may include the latest surgical, medical and radiation therapies, as well as options like immunotherapy, which uses your body’s natural defense system to destroy cancer cells. You’ll also have access to our clinical trials for cancer which may feature promising new treatments.

We’re committed to caring for you and providing the resources you and your loved ones need to manage a cancer diagnosis. You’ll find a full range of free or low-cost cancer support services available to you including education, rehabilitation, support groups and nutritional and spiritual counseling.