Does ovarian cancer cause indigestion symptoms? Can ovarian cancer only be treated with surgery?

Cancer is the devil in each of our hearts. What are the early symptoms of ovarian cancer in women? What are the treatments for ovarian cancer? What are the causes of ovarian cancer?

What situations should we be alert to regarding ovarian cancer?

1) Abnormal vaginal discharge (commonly known as "leucorrhea"): There are many reasons for abnormal leucorrhea, which are basically caused by general gynecological diseases (such as vaginitis), but are likely to be related to ovarian cancer.

2) Lower abdominal and pelvic masses: usually not accompanied by abdominal pain, often discovered accidentally by touching or by a doctor during a general gynecological examination, and further examination will diagnose them as ovarian cancer.

3) Abdominal pain: Ovarian cancer usually does not cause abdominal pain, or only hidden pain and discomfort. However, when the ovarian tumor pedicle is twisted or ruptured, or there is an infection, there may be more obvious lower abdominal pain or even severe pain.

4) Menstrual disorders: irregular menstrual cycle, prolonged intervals, increased menstrual bleeding, or excessive bleeding, or even amenorrhea, or the reappearance of "menstruation" after many years of menopause. This is not true menstruation but abnormal bleeding. Find out the cause as soon as possible.

5) Frequent urination and constipation: Since ovarian masses may compress or invade the bladder or rectum, there may be frequent urination, difficulty urinating, poor urination, constipation, etc.

6) Lower limb pain, edema, low back pain, etc. When the tumor compresses or invades the iliac blood vessels or nerves, it can cause lower limb edema, low back pain, lower limb pain, etc.

7) Late-stage patients may have systemic manifestations such as weight loss, anemia, and fever.

In addition, ovarian cancer may present with

The ovaries are located deep in the pelvic cavity and are relatively hidden. In addition, ovarian cancer usually has no discomfort symptoms in the early stages, or only mild nonspecific symptoms (Table 1), such as loss of appetite, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, or weight loss. Therefore, early detection and diagnosis are not easy.

There was once a female patient who complained of abdominal bloating and discomfort. She didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was indigestion. She took some digestive tablets from time to time, but the symptoms continued to improve. Then she went to the hospital for a check-up, which showed ascites. Further examination revealed an ovarian mass, and ovarian cancer was considered. She later underwent surgery and was diagnosed with ovarian epithelial cancer.

Many people feel abdominal bloating and discomfort and think they have indigestion, but if the abdominal bloating and discomfort cannot be relieved, you should go to the hospital for examination to avoid delaying diagnosis and treatment.

Ovarian cancer is often found in the late stage when it is asymptomatic in the early stage

The earlier the tumor is discovered and treated, the better the prognosis, but ovarian cancer is difficult to detect in the early stages.

The ovaries are located deep in the human pelvic cavity and are very small. Early ovarian cancer has basically no obvious symptoms, only atypical digestive tract symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain, which can be easily confused with other diseases.

Therefore, some people describe ovarian cancer as a silent "killer". When patients develop symptoms such as ascites, weight loss, anemia, and a large mass in the lower abdomen, the disease often progresses to the late stage and the prognosis is poor. The 5-year survival rate is about 25-30%.

Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer has always been a topic explored by gynecological oncologists. Unfortunately, to this day, no method for early diagnosis and clinical application has been found.

Is surgery necessary for ovarian cancer?

Surgery is the first choice for conscientious or malignant ovarian tumors!

Benign tumors can be removed, and ovarian cancer in principle needs to be completely removed, including the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, etc., that is, ovarian cancer is cured, but it depends on the patient's condition. For some early-stage ovarian cancers, the treatment can preserve the contralateral ovary and uterus, that is, preserve reproductive function.

Benign ovarian tumors are more likely to become malignant than uterine fibroids, especially in postmenopausal women. Therefore, if a postmenopausal woman has a benign ovarian tumor, we usually recommend that the patient have it removed as soon as possible to avoid future cancer.

How to distinguish between benign ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer?

Is an ovarian tumor benign or malignant? Unless your doctor tells you, you will definitely not be able to verify it.