How Do Doctors Diagnose Ovarian Cancer?
- If you have been experiencing symptoms such as abdominal discomfort or persistent abdominal swelling, pelvic or abdominal pain, getting full quickly or having trouble eating, unusual urinary symptoms such as an urgent need to urinate or needing to urinate more frequently, your doctor might perform a pelvic exam in order to see if she can find any lumps or swellings, especially if you have had these symptoms on an almost-daily basis for more than a few weeks. She will also want to check for any changes in your ovaries or around them. She may also decide to carry out additional tests to determine what the swellings or lumps might be. Your doctor will be suspicious of any abnormal changes if you are also feeling back pain, fatigue or if you experience constipation, menstrual changes, an upset stomach or pain during intercourse.
- If your doctor still has not arrived at a definite diagnosis, he may decide to order a transvaginal ultrasound. This is performed with a special wand into your vagina. Sound waves will bounce off of your pelvic organs in order to detect any potential tumors. Because this ultrasound device is able to get so much closer to your ovaries, it is more reliable than a traditional ultrasound machine.
- A blood test can measure for a protein called CA-125, which is a serum or tumor marker. When a woman has ovarian cancer, the CA-125 protein is shed by most epithelial ovarian cancer cells. However, this protein is also released by other cells, including several benign tissues. Your doctor will also order a blood test to make sure you are producing enough red and white blood cells and platelets.
- If previous testing (ultrasound and pelvic exam) points up an abnormality, your doctor will decide to perform a biopsy of ovarian tissue so it can be examined under a microscope. The tumor could be removed during surgery then examined (biopsied) or it could be removed during a laparoscopic procedure. The tumor can also be biopsied by putting a needle directly into the tumor through the skin of your abdomen. (This is done when your cancer is more advanced or when another serious medical condition does not allow you to have surgery). If you have ascites (fluid in your abdomen), a sample of this fluid can also be collected so it can be examined for the presence of tumor cells.