by JM Van Horn

Created on: May 08, 2009

There is hope for women and their battle with ovarian cancer, more commonly referred to as a 'silent killer'. This is welcomed news for any women, especially after the American Cancer Society published a study in 2008 that more than 21,650 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 15,520 of those women are presently dying from the disease.

Ovarian cancer, the fourth leading cause of death among women in the United States, has proven to be a tough disease to combat. In the past, women were often diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the late stages after it had silently spread throughout their body. Recent studies conducted by the American Cancer Society have shown that women diagnosed in the earliest stages of ovarian cancer have a five year survival rate of 93%.

Though the cause of ovarian cancer is still a relative unknown, there are certain risk factors that have been shown to be associated with the disease. Two of the most important ones are the age of the woman and their genetic history. There have been some studies conducted on the risk factors of ovarian cancer that have shown ethnicity, diet, and reproductive history may play a role, but none of them have been confirmed.

Even though there are limited risk factors, the American Cancer Society has said the chance of a woman getting ovarian cancer in her lifetime is just above 1%. There is good news for women around the country. In recent years there has been success for women in their battle against ovarian cancer and detecting it in its early stages. The primary reason centers on the checklist of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and the subsequent blood test. Here are the three basic symptoms of ovarian cancer that any women, whether she is in the risk category or not, should be aware of.

- Bloating or increased abdominal size

- Pelvic or abdominal pain

- Urinary urgency

Aside from the symptoms listed above, there are additional signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer that some women may experience.

- Persistent indigestion, nausea, or gas

- Pain during intercourse

- Lower back pain

- Persistent lack of energy

- Menstruation changes

- Constipation

Even though some of these symptoms can be caused by other problems it is imperative to remember when dealing with the disease, ovarian cancer, the best thing any women can do is to be aware of the signs your body is giving you. If you are experiencing the symptoms listed for more than a few weeks, it is best to visit with your family doctor so the appropriate blood tests can be completed.

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