BRISBANE: is notoriously difficult to detect early, often only identified when it has advanced and become harder to treat. However, a new study offers hope by focusing on four specific symptoms that could help identify the disease in its early stages, potentially improving treatment outcomes. Historically, ovarian cancer has been challenging to detect early due to vague symptoms that overlap with other common illnesses.
This makes it difficult to differentiate from less severe conditions. Current Australian guidelines suggest women should be tested for ovarian cancer if they experience symptoms for more than a month, but these symptoms—such as tiredness, constipation, and changes in menstruation—are often non-specific. Early detection is critical because a woman's chance of survival is closely tied to how advanced the cancer is at diagnosis.
If ovarian cancer is still confined to its original site, the five-year survival rate is 92%. However, over half of women are diagnosed when the cancer has already metastasized, meaning it has spread to other parts of the body. In such cases, the survival rate drops significantly, to as low as 31% if it has spread to distant sites.
The new study suggests that targeting four specific symptoms—bloating, abdominal pain, frequent urination, and feeling full quickly—could lead to earlier detection. Women who reported these symptoms persistently or frequently were fast-tracked to see a specialist within two weeks, undergoing a blood test measuring the cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and, if necessary, an internal vaginal ultrasound. The study, conducted between June 2015 and July 2022, involved 2,596 women aged 16 to 90 from 24 hospitals across the UK.
Of those fast-tracked, 12% were diagnosed with some form of ovarian cancer, and 6.8% were found to have high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most aggressive form responsible for 90% of ovarian cancer deaths. Encouragingly, one in four of the women with this aggressive cancer were diagnosed at an early stage, allowing treatment to begin before the cancer had spread significantly.
Most of these women underwent surgery, and three-quarters received chemotherapy. Complete cytoreduction, meaning all visible cancer was removed, was achieved in 61% of cases. This study highlights the importance of public awareness and targeted testing.
By focusing on these four key symptoms, the detection of ovarian cancer could become more efficient, potentially improving survival rates. While the study did not track long-term survival, the findings suggest that this approach could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, providing new hope for those at risk of ovarian cancer. Empowering both the public and clinicians to recognize these symptoms could be a crucial step in catching ovarian cancer before it becomes too advanced.
As the study shows, recognizing these symptoms may indeed help with early detection and treatment..
