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Ovarian cancer can be hard to detect early. It may grow for quite a while before it causes any symptoms.
Even when symptoms do start to appear, they may be vague and quite mild.
The most usual ones are:
- feeling bloated
- a dull, dragging pain in the abdomen
- constipation or diarrhoea
- feeling sick
- loss of appetite.
These may well be symptoms of other, less serious conditions - but you should see your GP if your problems persist.
If ovarian cancer has spread, it may cause problems like these...
- fluid may build up in the abdomen, making you feel very uncomfortable. Your waist could increase by several sizes in just a few weeks
- the bowel may get blocked, causing sudden, severe pain
- fluid may build up around the lung, causing breathlessness and coughing.
