Ovarian Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

Many ovarian cancer symptoms are vague or hard to detect and may be attributed to a less serious condition. Symptoms include:

Consider seeing your doctor if you have any of the symptoms above or in combination together. A basic examination may include:

Pelvic exam: the physician feels the ovaries and other organs for abnormal size or shape.
Transvaginal ultrasound: aspecially designed ultrasound probe is inserted into your vagina to detect a tumor in the ovary. However, further diagnosis is necessary to determine if the tumor is cancerous.

Diagnostic equipment and surgical procedures may help detect and diagnose ovarian cancer:

Ultrasound: uses sound waves to view internal body structures and to examine blood flow in different areas of the body. It can be used to view the uterus and ovaries.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): used to view biochemical changes in the body to detect cancerous tumors. It may also be used to determine if a tumor is benign or malignant.
Computed Tomography Scan (CT): combines multiple X-rays to provide three-dimensional clarity and show various types of tissue, including blood vessels. CT not only confirms the presence of a tumor, but can show its precise location, size and involvement with adjacent tissue.
CA-125 test: this blood test looks for elevated levels of a substance that could indicate the presence of cancer.
Laparoscopy: through a few tiny incisions, a magnifying scope and tiny instruments can be inserted into your body to view suspicious growths or obtain a biopsy, a small sample of tissue, for examination.
Biopsy: to obtain a small tissue sample for microscopic examination, a biopsy may be performed through minimally invasive laparoscopy, open-incision surgery or percutaneously (through your skin with a special needle).