A medical professional has explained four symptoms that could indicate the presence of ovarian cancer.
This type of cancer ranks among the most common in the United States, making it crucial to recognize the warning signs.
According to Mayo Clinic, ovarian cancer symptoms might not be evident when the disease initially appears, but there are early indicators to be aware of.
Annually, over 20,000 people in the U.S. are expected to receive an ovarian cancer diagnosis, and more than 12,000 are likely to succumb to the illness.
Risk factors can include having a family history of ovarian cancer, advancing age, obesity, endometriosis, experiencing menstruation before age 12, undergoing menopause after 52, and never having been pregnant.
Dr. Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, a gynecologic oncologist from the Mayo Clinic, highlighted four major symptoms to monitor in an interview with Today.
A change in your bowel habits, such as using the bathroom at an unusual time of day, might be an indicator that something is amiss.
More notably, constipation or diarrhea can signal issues, as small tumors on the bowel’s surface may cause functional changes.
Persistent bloating, especially when little has been consumed, might suggest a more serious health issue.
“People that come in with a new diagnosis say, ‘I thought I was just gaining weight because I was eating more,’ or ‘It didn’t make sense as far as why I was gaining this weight,” Dr. Bakkum-Gamez shared with Today.
“Usually, their abdomen is looking more along the lines of what you would look like if you were pregnant.”
Bakkum-Gamez cautions that, although often benign, in rare instances, a tumor or fluid accumulation in the abdomen could restrict food intake capacity.
“If you’re hungry and you eat a small amount of food, and you feel full pretty fast … that should prompt someone to be evaluated,” Dr. Bakkum-Gamez advised.
Experiencing frequent urination could also be indicative of an underlying health issue, including cancer.
Bakkum-Gamez explains that a sizable mass, such as a tumor in the pelvis, can prevent the bladder from filling to its usual capacity, resulting in more frequent trips to the restroom.
While there might be a benign reason for this, seeking medical advice is always prudent.
“It’s not uncommon that those individuals have to get up to go once, twice, sometimes three or four times at night to go urinate,” Dr. Bakkum-Gamez noted.