Roughly 27,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, about 15,000 of them will prove fatal. The answer lies in the fact that most women with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the disease has spread beyond the ovary. Because of the dramatic difference in survival rates, many research efforts are focusing on better methods of early detection. The greatest obstacle to detecting early-stage ovarian cancer is that it can be entirely asymptomatic, or cause symptoms that are not specifically gynecologic in nature. For example, a woman may notice that her abdomen protrudes more than usual and that her clothing does not fit well.
Some women experience predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation and bloating.
Others have heartburn or difficulty eating. Still others complain of frequent urination, vague abdominal pain, pelvic pain, back pain or fatigue. Definitive gynecologic symptoms, like vaginal bleeding and discharge, are not commonly associated with ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, there are no classic symptoms that would lead to a diagnosis of cancer. Women will often attribute their vague symptoms to aging, menopause or the stress of the multiple demands of their lives.