Bloating, abdominal pain… these symptoms that should alert you

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THE ovarian cancers are often detected at an advanced stage, more difficult to treat. The cause: non-specific symptoms and first signs that appear when the disease is already advanced.

Among ovarian cancers, high-grade serous carcinoma is the most common ovarian cancer and corresponds to approximately 50 to 70% of epithelial tumors. “Very often, the tumor is discovered at stage III or IV,” specifies the Ligue contre le Cancer.

Abdominal pain, bloating, fullness

Thus, while 5-year survival is 93% in women diagnosed at early stages (I and II), it falls to 13% in women diagnosed at stages III and IV.

Yet growing evidence suggests that symptoms do occur three months to three years before diagnosis. But the recent study “Refining Ovarian Cancer Test accuracy Scores,” published in The International journal of gynecological cancercomes to shake up beliefs.

Three symptoms in particular must alert and justify urgent investigations – screening triggered by symptoms:

• Abdominal pain;
• Abdominal bloating or swelling;
• A feeling of fullness shortly after starting to eat.

Detection of aggressive cancer at an early stage in 1/4 of women

As the UK pushes for ovarian cancer screening for women with these symptoms, researchers at the University of Birmingham wanted to know if the protocol really works.

Between June 2015 and July 2022, of 1,741 women participating in the study, 119 were diagnosed with high-grade ovarian cancer.

In one in four of these women (30 women, 25%), cancer could be detected at an early stage. The cancerous tissue could be completely removed in 73 women (61%) and almost completely removed in 15% of them. In nine cases, the tumor was inoperable.

Diagnosed earlier, a patient protects herself less

“Our figures demonstrate that in a real-world setting, symptom-based testing can potentially lead to the diagnosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer with low spread of the disease and result in a high proportion of complete surgical removal of cancer,” the researchers write.

Importantly, our results highlight the importance of increasing awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms to facilitate earlier diagnosis via fast-track pathway referral to improve patient outcomes.

5,348 ovarian cancers in France in 2023

Note that in France, 5,348 ovarian cancers were diagnosed in 20233,935 deaths were recorded in 2020. No screening tests are carried out.

It is gynecological examination which will lead, if necessary, to additional explorations, MRI, ultrasound and systematic search for the protein CA 125, a tumor marker for ovarian cancer.

With Destination Santé.

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