There is no screening test for ovarian cancer, meaning it is often discovered too late but new Australian research shows it is not always a "silent killer".
More that 80 per cent of women who have the cancer experience at least one related early warning symptom in the year before their diagnosis, according to a new study which took in 1,500 sufferers.
It is hoped improved awareness of the warning signs will lead to earlier diagnosis, as a majority of women only discover the cancer in its advanced stages when it is the most difficult to treat.
"There is no screening test for ovarian cancer ... a pap smear is not a test for detecting ovarian cancer," says Dr Helen Zorbas, chief executive of the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre which did the study.
"(But) the vast majority of women do experience ovarian cancer symptoms in the year prior to their diagnosis, so it's not the silent killer that we used to say it was."
Symptoms experienced by 83 per cent of the women well ahead of their ovarian cancer diagnosis include abdominal bloating, abdominal or back pain, appetite loss or feeling full quickly.
Other red flags reported by the women include changes in toilet habits, unexplained weight loss or gain, indigestion or heartburn and fatigue.
"The difficulty is they are symptoms that women experience commonly, they are vague symptoms," Dr Zorbas says.
"This is not about creating unnecessary alarm... but if the symptoms are unusual for you and are they persistent then they warrant investigation."
The study also found 17 per cent of women with the symptoms waited more than three months before seeing their doctor, and eight per cent waited more than six months.
Common reasons for the delay include assuming the symptoms were "not serious", they were linked to routine ailments or they were a natural part of ageing.
Ovarian cancer can strike at any age, but most women are diagnosed in their 50s.
About 1,300 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia this year - 70 per cent will be the advanced stage of the illness when diagnosed, and more than half do not survive five years.
For more info: www.ovariancancer.net.au
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