Ovarian Cancer Clinical Presentation

Updated: Nov 17, 2022
  • Author: Andrew E Green, MD; Chief Editor: Yukio Sonoda, MD  more...
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Presentation

History

Assessment of women for their risk of ovarian cancer necessitates obtaining a careful family history of both male and female relatives, including those relatives without cancer. (See Etiology) If possible, obtain verification of the histologic diagnoses. The counsel of a trained geneticist is ideal. Significant problems are involved in the counseling of women and their families with regard to genetic testing and its implications. Carriers of mutations may be detected through laboratory analysis of the genetic structure of white blood cells.

Epithelial ovarian cancer presents as a wide variety of vague and nonspecific symptoms, including bloating, abdominal distension or discomfort, pressure effects on the bladder and rectum, constipation, vaginal bleeding, indigestion and acid reflux, shortness of breath, tiredness, weight loss, and early satiety. The patient may feel an abdominal mass.

A case-control study showed that symptoms independently associated with the presence of ovarian cancer were pelvic and abdominal pain, increased abdominal size and bloating and difficulty eating or feeling full. [1] Another study reported that gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea, or other digestive disorders were associated with later-stage disease. [2] Presentation with swelling of a leg due to venous thrombosis is not uncommon. Paraneoplastic syndromes due to tumor-mediated factors lead to various presentations.

A prospective case-control study of 1,709 women visiting primary care clinics found that the combination of bloating, increased abdominal size, and urinary symptoms was found in only 8% of patients overall but in 43% of those with ovarian cancer. [38]

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Physical Examination

Physical findings are uncommon in patients with early disease. Patients with more advanced disease may present with any of the following:

  • Ovarian or pelvic mass
  • Ascites
  • Pleural effusion
  • Abdominal mass or bowel obstruction
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