Knowing the symptoms of ovarian cancer could save your life. Our video tells you more about the symptoms to look out for.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
- persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite
- pain in your tummy or pelvis (the area between your hip bones)
- needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual.
Sometimes there can be other symptoms:
- changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation)
- fatigue (feeling very tired)
- losing weight without trying.
Any unusual bleeding from the vagina before or any bleeding from the vagina after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP.
Symptoms will be:
- new – they're not normal for you
- frequent – they usually happen more than 12 times a month, or 3 times a week
- persistent – they don't go away.
Worried about your symptoms?
If you regularly experience any one or more of these symptoms it's important that you contact your GP, even if they're mild. Your GP should arrange for a CA125 blood test. They may also order ultrasound scans of your ovaries and tummy. If your symptoms don't go away, go back to your GP or ask for a second opinion within a month
Tell your GP if one or more relative in your close family has had cancer especially if the cancer affected your mother, father, brother or sister. This is because ovarian cancer can run in families.
Ovarian cysts can produce symptoms similar to those for ovarian cancer but they aren't known to increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) also have symptoms similar to ovarian cancer but new cases of IBS are very unlikely in women over the age of 50.
For months, my symptoms were continuing, affecting my day-to-day life and getting worse. I wish I had trusted my gut and pushed for tests from my GP earlier. If you’re experiencing any new and persistent symptoms it’s important to see your GP. Tell them you’re worried about ovarian cancer so they can arrange blood tests and scans. Early diagnosis saves lives!
More support
- Keep a symptoms diary to track the frequency of your symptoms. Download or order a symptoms diary for free.
- Take a look at our top tips for speaking to your GP.
- Download our symptoms leaflet [PDF] to find out more (also available in other languages).
If you're worried about symptoms or you need some advice on talking to your GP about symptoms our nurses are here for you.
