The checklist, developed by doctors at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington, was recently evaluated in a population of 1,200 women visiting their physician. It asks if women are regularly experiencing any of the following:
- Abdominal and/or pelvic pain
- Feeling full quickly and/or being unable to eat normally
- Abdominal bloating and/or increased abdominal size Why do these questions matter so much? Around 60% of women with early-stage ovarian cancer suffer from those symptoms, which they often brush off or mistake for something less serious. By spotting patients with the warning signs sooner, the new survey could help doctors decide when to perform diagnostic exams like ultrasounds or blood tests, says Robyn Anderson, PhD, an associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. More from Prevention: The Scary Connection Between Height And Cancer Risk “In a population with symptoms, the diagnostic tests we have are really quite good,” she says. “Ovarian cancer can be diagnosed early, and that’s why it is so important that a woman with symptoms see her doctor.” If you do have any of the above symptoms, there’s no reason to panic. Most often, something else—like irritable bowel syndrome or fibroids—is the cause. But if the symptoms are new (within the last few months) and frequent (more than 12 times per month) there might be cause for concern. “Not every case of bloating is a problem,” Anderson says. “But new and frequent symptoms indicate that something in the body has changed, and you want to find out what that change means.” More from Prevention: Follow her on Twitter: @katiedrumm Send news tips and positive vibes to: Katie.Drummond@rodale.com
