What Are the Signs and Symptoms?

This content has been reviewed and approved by

Maurie Markman, MD
Vice President, Clinical Research
MD Anderson Cancer Center
University of Texas

In the early stages of ovarian cancer, you may not experience any obvious or painful symptoms. Unfortunately, due to a lack of definitive symptoms, the majority of women with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until their cancer has reached an advanced stage.

However, some recent studies have indicated that the majority of women with ovarian cancer actually do experience symptoms before their diagnosis. Since symptoms may be subtle, and vary from person to person, they may not be associated with the symptoms of ovarian cancer. For example, back pain is the most common early symptom of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Ovarian cancer is often originally suspected in women when their physician finds an abnormal pelvic growth during an internal pelvic examination. In addition to back pain, the following are the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer:

• General discomfort in the lower abdomen, including any of the following:
• Feeling swollen or bloated
• Increased abdominal size
• A loss of appetite or a feeling of fullness, even after a light meal
• Gas, indigestion, and nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Urinary frequency or incontinence by the growing tumor, which may press on nearby organs, such as the bowel or bladder
• Pelvic pain
• Pain with intercourse
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding

General symptoms may include:

• Weight loss
• Back pain
• Fatigue
• Difficulty breathing