What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

This page tells you about the symptoms of ovarian cancer and about why there is no ovarian cancer screening.

Nearly 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK. Most women are over the age of 50. The highest incidence is in women aged over 70. Unfortunately the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be vague. This means it is often diagnosed at a later stage when it is more difficult to treat. The most common symptoms are

  • A change in bowel habit, such as constipation or diarrhoea
  • Swollen abdomen (ascites) and putting on weight
  • Pain
  • Losing weight
  • Vaginal bleeding
  • If your doctor says you have 'irritable bowel syndrome' ask if it could be ovarian cancer or bowel cancer

Some studies are looking at various ways of screening for ovarian cancer in the hope of diagnosing it at an earlier stage when it is easier to cure. The tests being looked into are

At the moment there is no evidence that routinely screening all women for ovarian cancer would save lives. Some studies are looking at screening women with a family history of ovarian cancer. Others are looking into screening all women over a certain age. Once ovarian cancer has been diagnosed, the main treatments are surgery and chemotherapy. The CancerHelp UK ovarian cancer section has more information about this disease and its treatment. There are also books and booklets about ovarian cancer, some of which are free.