Ovarian Cancer Has Early Symptoms

Historically, ovarian cancer has been called the "silent killer" because symptoms often became apparent so late in the process that chances of a cure were poor.

A catchy phrase, but it is wrong, according to a consensus statement released Tuesday by the American Cancer Society, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists. In fact, these experts say, recent medical studies show identifiable symptoms often do exist for ovarian cancer, even in the early stages. The most common of these are:

bloating
pelvic or abdominal pain
trouble eating or feeling full quickly
urinary symptoms, such as urgent or frequent feelings of needing to go
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