Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer
- Symptoms of ovarian cancer can present themselves quickly, and grow rapidly
- People may experience abdominal distention and discomfort, pevic masses, and difficulty breathing
- Treatment is done quickly in order to alleviate symptoms and stop more from developing
“A patient can feel relatively normal and suddenly wake up with abdominal distension and symptoms that are related to ovarian cancer,” Dr. Jeanne M. Schilder, a gynecologic oncologist at Indiana University Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet.
Read MoreGenetic Testing For Ovarian Cancer
When it comes to catching ovarian cancer early, genetic testing can be a life-saver literally. Genetic testing and screening tests can help with early detection of ovarian cancer, which is valuable considering many times the diagnosis comes after the cancer has already spread. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, the results from treatment are usually much better.
“For genetic testing, we will refer our patients to genetic counselors to go through a thorough family history, talk about the risk and benefits of testing,” Dr. Erin Salinas, a gynecologic oncologist at Compass Oncology, told SurvivorNet in a separate interview. “What all that entails it is a blood test that’s drawn to determine if patients have germline mutations.”
Germline mutations are inherited, and will be determined through saliva tests. Somatic mutations are non-inherited, and doctors will test blood as well as the tissue of the tumor. The tumor tissue can be obtained from cancer tissue obtained either during surgery or from a biopsy and is obtained from the hospital or pathology lab where your surgery or biopsy was performed.
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