The short answer
Ovarian cancer often causes vague symptoms like bloating, belly or pelvic pain, feeling full quickly, and needing to urinate often. Because these are easy to overlook, symptoms that are new and persistent should be checked.
Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and easy to overlook.
Common signs include bloating, belly or pelvic pain, and feeling full quickly.
Needing to urinate often or urgently can also occur.
Symptoms that are new, frequent, and persistent are the ones to check.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Ovarian cancer is sometimes called a silent disease, but it often does cause symptoms — they are just vague and easy to overlook. Bloating, belly or pelvic pain, and feeling full quickly are common. Symptoms that are new and persistent are worth checking.
Common signs
Possible signs include:
- Bloating or a swollen belly
- Belly or pelvic pain
- Feeling full quickly when eating
- Needing to urinate often or urgently
The pattern that matters
Because these symptoms overlap with common conditions, the key is whether they are new, happen often, and do not go away. Persistent, frequent symptoms are the ones to check.
New, frequent, persistent symptoms are the pattern worth checking.
When to see a doctor
There is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer in women at average risk, so paying attention to symptoms matters. See a doctor for persistent bloating, pelvic pain, or feeling full quickly, especially with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸What are the symptoms?
Common signs include bloating, belly or pelvic pain, feeling full quickly when eating, and needing to urinate often or urgently. They are often vague and easy to mistake for other things.
▸Why is ovarian cancer hard to catch early?
Its symptoms are vague and overlap with common conditions, and there is no reliable screening test for women at average risk, so it can be missed early.
▸Which symptoms should I check?
Symptoms that are new, happen often (more than about 12 times a month), and do not go away are the pattern most worth checking.
▸When should I see a doctor?
See a doctor for bloating, pelvic or belly pain, or feeling full quickly that is new and persistent, especially with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer.
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