Checking for symptoms such as abdominal bloating, pain or a feeling of fullness soon after starting a meal could help detect up to a quarter of early-stage symptoms, a new study says. ovarian cancer The study was published in the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer and was conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. The cancer cells grow rapidly and destroy healthy body tissue. Ovarian cancer is usually seen in older women who have gone through menopause, however, it can happen to anyone. This cancer may remain undetected for a very long time as it does not show any symptoms until it reaches advanced stages and spreads to other parts or organs of the body.

The researchers said that when women were diagnosed through this method of ‘symptom-induced testing’, it was possible to completely remove cancer cells through surgery in about 60 percent of cases. While previous evidence has suggested that Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer These symptoms are often vague, making early identification difficult, the researchers said.

For the study, researchers analyzed more than 1,700 women who underwent symptom-triggered testing. Seven percent of the women, or 119 of them, were diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common, aggressive and deadly form of the disease.

The researchers reported that for most of these women, the cancer did not interfere significantly with their daily lives, meaning they were either fully active or able to do all but strenuous activities. Nearly 90 percent of the 119 women (aged 32-89) were postmenopausal.

Participants were recruited from the ‘Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Accuracy Scores (ROCKTS)’ study in the UK, which aims to validate a model designed to predict ovarian cancer risk in women displaying symptoms.

The study authors wrote, “Our results indicate that one in four women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer diagnosed through (symptom-induced testing) was diagnosed with early-stage disease — stage I or II.”

In addition, surgery resulted in complete removal of cancer cells in 61 per cent (73) of the 119 women, they said. “Our data demonstrate that in a real-world setting, symptom-based testing can potentially diagnose high-grade serous ovarian cancer with low disease prevalence and result in a high proportion of complete (removal of cancer cells) resections,” the authors wrote.

The findings also suggest that complete surgical removal of cancer cells is possible even at advanced stages, which is when high-grade serous ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed, provided women showing suspicious symptoms are swiftly referred for further investigation and treatment, the study said.

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