A "silent" cancer speaks with 4 symptoms

A cluster of new and frequently occurring symptoms should alert physicians and patients to the need for further evaluation for ovarian cancer.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. July 9, 2007.

Washington -- Ovarian cancer, long known as a "silent killer," actually announces its presence. Although it does so quietly, several cancer groups would like physicians and their patients to listen carefully.

Recent research identified four early symptoms of this disease, which is notoriously hard to detect at an early enough stage to allow for successful treatment.

Likely to be diagnosed in more than 22,000 women in the United States this year, the cancer also will kill more than 15,000, according to the American Cancer Society.

A June 13 consensus statement by the American Cancer Society, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation indicates that the presence of a cluster of symptoms can serve as an early warning sign for this cancer, which begins deep within the pelvis.

The symptoms are bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and a frequent or urgent need to urinate. Although they are seemingly common complaints, the symptoms shouldn't be ignored, especially if they are new, occur daily and persist for at least a few weeks.

The consensus statement is intended to increase awareness of these early markers, said Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer at the national office of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta.

The long-held belief that this cancer did not send signals was a "disservice to women," said Carolyn Muller, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. She also chairs the marketing and communications committee of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.