Symptoms of ovarian cancer: recurrent bloating

Symptoms of ovarian cancer: recurrent bloating

Symptoms of ovarian cancer: recurrent bloating. It is recommended that the majority of female friends do at least one gynecological physical examination and gynecological B-ultrasound examination every year.

It is reported that in the past week, three patients were transferred from the Gastroenterology Department to the Second District of Gynecology, all with advanced ovarian cancer. The youngest is 39 years old, one is 50 years old, and the oldest is 70 years old. Why do patients with ovarian cancer go to the gastroenterology department?

It turned out that these three patients of different ages all had the same symptoms. They all sought medical treatment because of abdominal distension, poor appetite, and reduced diet. They all thought it was a problem with the digestive system.

Ovarian cancer is one of the common tumors of female reproductive organs. Its incidence rate is second only to cervical cancer and uterine body cancer, ranking third. Approximately 1.4% of women will suffer from this disease. In the eyes of most people, ovarian cancer has no signs before it gets worse, so it is called “silent killer” or “silent killer”. Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose early, and it is not discovered until the cancer has spread to the entire ovary or even the abdominal cavity. Most patients are already in the middle and advanced stages when they see a doctor. So far, according to clinical data at home and abroad, its five-year survival rate is only 25% to 30%.

Ovarian cancer is regarded as an invisible killer of women and the leading cause of death in gynecology.

Malignant ovarian tumors are often asymptomatic in the early stage, and some patients can be found in gynecological examinations.

The symptoms of advanced patients are often vague and easily confused with symptoms of other diseases, such as gastrointestinal discomfort. Almost all patients seek medical treatment due to bloating, poor appetite, reduced diet or significant weight loss, but these symptoms are similar to the general digestive system Symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction are often not noticeable, or go to the hospital’s gastroenterology department for treatment, and even many doctors would not think of ovarian cancer.

Premenarche and postmenopausal women who have ovarian masses should be considered as tumors; those with irregular menstruation should always be alert to whether there are ovarian lesions; women of childbearing age who have accessory cystic masses should also be vigilant; there are gynecological diseases Of women, when treating gynecological diseases, they should also be alert to the existence of ovarian disease.

Main clinical manifestations of advanced patients

The main clinical manifestations of advanced patients are abdominal distension, abdominal masses and ascites. The severity of symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumor, the degree of invasion of adjacent organs, the histological type of the tumor, and whether there are complications.

1. Compression symptoms: due to tumor growth or infiltration of adjacent tissues.

2. Dissemination and metastasis symptoms: ascites caused by peritoneal implantation, digestive tract symptoms caused by intestinal metastasis, etc.

3. Endocrine symptoms: due to the stimulation of estrogen and testosterone secreted by some ovarian tumors, precocious puberty, virilization, amenorrhea, menstrual disorders and postmenopausal bleeding can occur.

4. Symptoms of acute abdominal pain: due to tumor rupture, torsion, etc.

Who are the high-risk groups? The cause of ovarian malignant tumors is currently unclear, but the following are high-risk factors: family history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, age, no childbirth, high-fat diet, long-term use of ovulation-stimulating drugs, etc.

Can occur at any age, including infants and young children. There are corresponding major histological types for specific ages.

Malignant germ cell tumors are most common in women under 20 years old, while epithelial cancers are mainly seen in patients over 50 years old. The age group with the highest prevalence of ovarian cancer is 60 to 64 years old.

Epidemiological evidence strongly supports that environmental factors are the main factor in the occurrence of ovarian cancer, and the high degree of industrialization has led to an increase in the incidence, indicating that the physical or chemical products of industrialization may be the main carcinogen.

Some scholars have discovered a strange phenomenon that the aggressiveness of epithelial ovarian cancer changes with the number of women’s pregnancy. The risk of ovarian cancer in women who have never breastfed is 1.5 times higher than those who have breastfed for more than 18 months.

How to prevent ovarian cancer?

Some high-risk factors can be avoided, such as careful use of drugs, avoiding frequent exposure to carcinogenic environment and food, etc.; childbirth of the right age, breast-feeding babies; combination of work and rest, appropriate exercise, and enhance immunity. Women whose menarche is earlier than 12 years old, have not given birth or have given birth later than 30 years old, have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

(source:internet, reference only)

Disclaimer of medicaltrend.org