Russian physician and gynecological oncologist Ivan Kumar warned that ovarian cancer may present with unclear symptoms, similar to those of gastrointestinal disorders, which may delay its diagnosis.
In an interview with the Russian newspaper Gazeta.ru, the doctor said: "Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, and the symptoms at the beginning of the disease resemble some of the initial symptoms of digestive disorders. Therefore, many women delay seeking medical attention, as they consider what they are suffering from to be merely nervous tension, a nutritional problem, a digestive problem, or age-related changes in the body."
He added: "There are several symptoms that warrant attention, which may indicate ovarian cancer, including:
Irritating and recurring pains in the lower abdomen, which may appear and disappear periodically.
Persistent bloating in the abdomen that does not go away even after adjusting the diet, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness.
Prolonged constipation without a clear cause, which may last for weeks, is a result of the increasing pressure of the tumor on adjacent organs and disruption of bowel movement.
In advanced stages, fluid may accumulate in the abdominal cavity.
The doctor also pointed out other worrying signs such as feeling full even after eating small amounts of food, nausea, extreme weakness, and general fatigue.
Kumar urged women to undergo regular checkups for early detection of the disease, stressing that the most effective methods are transvaginal ultrasound, in addition to blood tests to detect the tumor marker CA-125, which is an important biomarker in early diagnosis.
