What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on March 08, 2025
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Some early symptoms of ovarian cancer patients include a lump in the abdomen that can be felt during gynecological examination or by the patients themselves. In advanced ovarian cancer, as the tumor progressively enlarges, there may be symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Moreover, the tumor may compress other organs in the pelvic cavity, causing symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen or even constipation. Additionally, many patients with ovarian cancer may develop significant ascites, which can also cause abdominal distension, decreased appetite, and even nausea and vomiting, along with other gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How to control ascites from ovarian cancer?

In clinical settings, it is common for ovarian cancer to present with significant ascites. Some patients initially seek medical attention due to symptoms related to large volumes of ascites, and then ovarian cancer is diagnosed. Such cases are generally at a more advanced stage, and their treatment is predominantly chemotherapy. Ovarian cancer patients tend to be relatively sensitive to chemotherapy; only when chemotherapy controls the cancer cells can the ascites be managed. Of course, symptomatically, a peritoneal drainage tube can be placed to drain the ascites, and then local intraperitoneal chemotherapy drugs can be infused. This, combined with systemic intravenous chemotherapy, controls the ovarian cancer and manages the ascites.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Early treatment methods for ovarian cancer

The treatment methods for early-stage ovarian cancer should first and foremost include a clear diagnosis and staging. If the staging indicates an early stage, then surgical treatment can be applied. There are many surgical options available, such as cytoreductive surgery, interval debulking surgery, second-look laparotomy, and direct tumor cell reduction surgery. After the surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy can be administered for treatment.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Early Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Patients with ovarian cancer may have relatively hidden clinical symptoms in the early stages, possibly without any specific discomfort, or just mild lower abdominal bloating or pain. Symptoms tend to become more apparent only when the tumor progressively enlarges or when ascites occur, such as increased abdominal bloating and pain. Furthermore, during a physical examination, a solid or cystic-solid mass can be palpated in the pelvic area. Ascites can also lead to clinical symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. In the late stages, partial intestinal obstruction or symptoms related to pelvic compression may appear.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is there still hope for ovarian cancer recurrence?

Most ovarian malignant tumors, which are ovarian cancers, are relatively sensitive to chemotherapy. Therefore, in many cases, the treatment of ovarian cancer is a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Even if ovarian cancer recurs, there are still many treatment options available, with chemotherapy being the most commonly used method. Many patients can still benefit from chemotherapy.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?

Ultrasound or CT scans detecting ovarian masses, in combination with biopsy or cytological examination that identify cancer cells, can diagnose ovarian cancer. A common method of biopsy includes ultrasound-guided procedures or transvaginal cul-de-sac puncture biopsy of ovarian masses, enabling clear pathological confirmation. Additionally, exploratory laparotomy or early radical surgery for ovarian cancer patients can yield a postoperative pathological diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Moreover, the presence of ascites is a common symptom in ovarian cancer patients; finding cancer cells, especially adenocarcinoma, in ascites, coupled with significantly elevated tumor marker CA125, or ultrasound or CT imagery revealing ovarian masses, can also diagnose ovarian cancer.