Ovarian Cancer – Two Very Scary Words

I recently lost a beloved family member to this horrible disease. A 34 -year old woman who had everything to live for and whose life ended way too early. They call ovarian cancer the “silent killer.” Often women have no symptoms, so ovarian cancer is diagnosed at stage 3 or 4. Late diagnosis results in poor prognoses and limited treatment options that can cure.

The silent killer?

I’ve learned a lot about ovarian cancer over the past three years. Too often I’ve read about women who did have symptoms, though vague. Unfortunately, their doctors dismissed the symptoms or attributed them to more common diagnoses such as irritable bowel syndrome, hernia, gas or weight gain.

The question emerges- is ovarian cancer silent or are doctors not listening?

I urge every woman who is feeling “not right” – abdominal pain, back pain, frequent urination, unexplained fatigue, bloating – any of these symptoms, to see their OB/GYN and get checked out. Too often we want to hear the doctor say “it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Listen to your body, insist on further testing.

Let’s hope your symptoms are attributed to a common problem. But if not, the sooner you know the better. Ovarian cancer won’t wait and neither should you!