IF you were feeling bloated on a regular basis, what would you do? Many women are more likely to change their diets than visit their doctors, suggests a survey conducted in the United Kingdom by the nonprofit organization Target Ovarian Cancer. In some cases, that could put women at risk of overlooking ovarian cancer symptoms. “The symptoms of ovarian cancer are persistent bloating, always feeling full, tummy pain, and needing to urinate more,” said Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer. “If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms regularly, and they are not normal for you, it is important that you see your doctor,” she said. Last month, Jones’ organization conducted an online survey of more than 1140 women in the U.K. using the market research platform YouGov. Only 34 percent said they would visit their doctor if they started to feel bloated regularly. In comparison, 50 percent said they would consider changing their diet, for example, by cutting out gluten or dairy or adding probiotic yogurt. In a previous survey, the organization found that only 1 in 5 women in the country identified persistent bloating as a symptom of ovarian cancer. “Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer makes the disease easier to treat, so Target Ovarian Cancer is telling everyone to learn the symptoms,” Jones said. “It’s unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem,” she noted, “but getting checked out by your doctor is important and will put your mind at rest.” Ovarian cancer is notoriously difficult to detect early. Only 20 percent of cases are diagnosed in the early stages, when treatment tends to be most effective. The majority of cases are diagnosed in later stages, when the cancer has spread to other organs. “Historically, ovarian cancer was thought to be the ‘silent killer’ because it developed without announcement, and before you know it, the patient had late-stage cancer,” said Dr. Carmel Cohen, a professor emeritus of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Many doctors believed that the disease produced no early symptoms. This began to change in the late 1990s, when a growing body of research found evidence of early warning signs. Those early warning signs don’t always appear, but when they do, they most often include bloating, abdominal pain, feeling full quickly, and urinary tract symptoms. Other potential symptoms include fatigue, nausea, constipation, menstrual changes, pain during sex and back pain. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are more commonly associated with less serious conditions, such as indigestion. As a result, patients don’t always take them seriously. Their doctors might not suspect ovarian cancer either. A previous study from Target Ovarian Cancer found that 41 percent of women visited their doctor at least three times before being referred for cancer tests. By that point, the cancer has often spread to other organs and progressed to a stage that’s harder to treat. To improve the chances of early diagnosis and treatment, it’s important for women to visit their doctors if they develop abnormal symptoms that last for more than a few weeks. If they suspect that their symptoms might be caused by ovarian cancer, they may need to advocate for their doctors to conduct a pelvic exam, ultrasound, or other cancer tests. If you have a family history of ovarian cancer or BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations, speak to your doctor about steps that you can take to lower your risk of ovarian cancer. (SD-Agencies) | 