September is ovarian cancer awareness month

In order to detect ovarian cancer early, awareness is key.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The disease occurs in one of 69 women.

While usually unrecognized until in the final stages, ovarian cancer is detectable in early stages and is treatable.

In cases where ovarian cancer detection happens before it has spread beyond the ovaries, more than 93 percent of women survive longer than five years. However, early-stage diagnosis only occurs in about 20 percent of cases.

Symptoms of the disease include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms, including urgency and frequency.

Fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation and menstrual irregularities are also symptoms but are not useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.

These symptoms are often indicative of ovarian cancer if they persist. Experts recommend a complete pelvic and rectal exam, a transvaginal ultrasound, and a CA-125 blood test. Pap tests do not detect ovarian cancer.