Ovarian cancer remains one of the gynaecological cancers that is most difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Unlike other cancers, it often presents with non-specific symptoms that can be mistaken for common digestive problems, contributing to delays in diagnosis in a significant proportion of patients.
Recognising these symptoms and seeking medical advice when they persist is an important step towards achieving an earlier diagnosis and optimising treatment options.
Why can ovarian cancer symptoms be mistaken for a digestive problem?
The ovaries are anatomically located close to the peritoneum, bowel and bladder. Tumour growth or the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity can cause compression and irritation of these structures, leading to digestive or urinary symptoms before specific gynaecological symptoms appear.
For this reason, many patients initially seek medical advice for persistent digestive discomfort before receiving a definitive diagnosis.
Symptoms that should prompt a medical assessment
Although most of these symptoms have benign causes, when they are persistent or progressive, a gynaecological assessment is recommended.
The most common warning signs include:
- Persistent abdominal bloating or a progressive increase in abdominal circumference.
- Feeling full quickly or reduced appetite.
- Persistent pelvic pain or pressure.
- Recent changes in bowel habits.
- Increased urinary frequency or a constant urge to urinate.
- Unintentional weight loss or persistent fatigue.
If these symptoms persist for several weeks or recur frequently, a medical assessment should be carried out to identify their cause.
Diagnosis of ovarian cancer
Diagnosis combines clinical information with a range of complementary tests.
Transvaginal ultrasound is the main imaging technique used for the initial assessment of ovarian masses. Depending on the findings, other investigations may be required, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or PET-CT, to determine the extent of the disease.
Tumour markers such as CA-125 can provide additional information, although they must always be interpreted alongside the clinical examination and imaging tests, as they are not specific to ovarian cancer.
The approach to ovarian cancer at IVOQA
The treatment of ovarian cancer requires a highly specialised approach integrating gynaecology, oncological surgery, medical oncology, radiology, pathology and diagnostic imaging.
At IVOQA, all cases are assessed by a Multidisciplinary Tumour Board, where an individualised treatment strategy is designed taking into account the stage of the disease, tumour extent, the biological characteristics of the tumour and each patient’s clinical condition.
Highly complex oncological surgery
Surgery is one of the fundamental pillars of ovarian cancer treatment.
When the peritoneum is affected, the aim is to perform complete cytoreductive surgery, removing all visible macroscopic disease whenever technically possible. Scientific evidence has shown that the degree of cytoreduction achieved is one of the main prognostic factors in these patients.
IVOQA has a specialised peritoneal oncological surgery unit with experience in the management of advanced gynaecological tumours and highly complex procedures, including cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC when indicated.
Personalised treatment based on precision medicine
In addition to surgical treatment, the current management of ovarian cancer incorporates molecular characterisation of the tumour in order to select the most appropriate systemic therapies.
The integration of specialised surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, PARP inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents, immunotherapy, ADC antibody-drug conjugates, intraperitoneal therapies when indicated and clinical research makes it possible to offer increasingly personalised treatments adapted to the characteristics of each patient, as well as emerging therapies such as drugs targeting DNA repair, vaccines and oncolytic viruses.
The importance of early diagnosis
Although there is currently no effective screening programme for the general population, recognising persistent symptoms and seeking a specialist assessment when they appear can help accelerate diagnosis and allow treatment to be planned at an earlier stage.
At IVOQA, we approach ovarian cancer through a care model that integrates highly complex oncological surgery, medical oncology, advanced diagnostics and clinical research, with the aim of offering each patient the most appropriate treatment strategy based on the best available scientific evidence.
