Symptoms of ovarian cancer may be very nonspecific and sometimes occur only several months prior to the diagnosis is confirmed by pathologic tests. This alone is one of the problems with detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are quite often dismissed due to the fact that they can be rather benign.

Stomach swelling and digestive problems are some of the common symptoms which may be easily dismissed and ignored. Stomach problems are symptoms which most people experience at various times in their life. Ovarian cancer afflicts more than twenty-two- thousand women annually in the U.S.

If detected in its early stages, before it has spread from the ovaries a woman has a ninety percent chance of living for at least another five years. Unfortunately, less than twenty percent of ovarian cancer is detected in its early stage, Due to the fact that the symptoms of ovarian cancer don't involve the ovaries themselves the cancer many times can be overlooked as tests like stomach and gallbladder imaging  studies may overlook the more serious problem of early ovarian cancer.

This is not to say that every time a woman gets a stomach ache or pelvic pain she should dash off to be tested for ovarian cancer.  Howver, when stomach or pelvic discomfort are persistent,  researchers have concluded that ovarian cancer needs to be considered. If tests have excluded other causes, then tests for ovarian cancer should be performed. Ovarian cancer is a relatively rare cancer in women, afflicting only a small part of the general population and makes up a small percentage of the cancers afflicting women in general.

However, for the woman who is diagnosed with this form of cancer, statistics are unimportant.  Physicians and scientists emphasize the need for  women  to play and important role in the  early detection of this disease due to the vague, nonspecific  nature of the symptoms and the elusive nature of this disease.  The fact that early detection influences the survival rate of women afflicted with ovarian cancer emphasizes the need for an increased awareness and screening of women for this disease. New research has discovered that ultrasound studies and the CA125  screening blood test were frequently not effective in detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages even in women already at high risk for developing the disease.

Women at high risk include those  with a family history of the disease and women predisposed to it due to genetic mutations that can make ovarian cancer more likely. Of the two tests, the blood test has shown to be more effective in detecting ovarian cancer but it can sometimes give false positive results. Current research is working on finding other diagnostic tests sensitive enough to detect ovarian cancer in its earliest stages.

Experts agree that more research is needed in the area of detection of the disease as this seems to be so critical in determining the survival rate for ovarian cancer. The symptoms may remain vague and nonspecific, therefore women must make themselves more aware of this cancer and its early detection. Tracking the symptoms can only be of help. Keeping an accurate record of your early symptoms and being persistent during the evaluation process can be the difference between surviving and not surviving ovarian cancer.