Contrary to accepted wisdom, ovarian cancer is not the "silent killer" it has been called for all of these years. It does have symptoms that become apparent earlier than thought.

According to a consensus statement released in early June by the American Cancer Society, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, recent medical studies show identifiable symptoms often do exist for ovarian cancer, even in the early stages. Symptoms will have begun recently and will be persistent with a daily occurence. Keep in mind these symptoms do not usually mean ovarian cancer, but should be considered if the symptoms are not explained by other known causes. The most common of these are:

• bloating
• pelvic or abdominal pain
• trouble eating or feeling full quickly
• urinary symptoms, such as urgent or frequent feelings of needing to urinate

For more information, including other, less common symptoms, please click here.