Study Discovers Early Warning Signs of Ovarian Cancer

Scientists may be getting closer to discovering the early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. The results of a recently published study, conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Thomson Healthcare link five symptoms to the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, excluding skin cancer, ovarian cancer accounts for the eighth leading cause of cancer in women and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death for women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in 2007, and that approximately 15,280 women will die from the condition.

The authors of the study indicate that because many cases of ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until later stages have been reached, research needs to identify early signs and symptoms of the disease. Earlier detection is generally associated with more treatment options and a better chance of surviving the disease.

Researchers examined medical claims of 2,760 women without ovarian cancer and 920 medical claims of women with ovarian cancer. They analyzed the medical claims, tracking the symptoms women with ovarian cancer reported before being diagnosed with the condition.

Five symptoms were found to be linked to ovarian cancer diagnosis. Women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer reported each symptom significantly more often in the 30-90 days preceding her diagnosis than women without ovarian cancer.

Eighty-three percent of women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer reported abdominal pain within 30 days prior to their diagnosis whereas only 2% of women without ovarian cancer reported experiencing abdominal pain.

Female genital symptoms were three and a half times more prevalent in women eventually diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women without the condition. Gastrointestinal symptoms were 1.5-2 times more likely in women with ovarian cancer than in women without it. Finally, women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer were twice as likely as those without ovarian cancer to experience menopausal and urinary tract symptoms.