3 Common Symptoms Tied to Ovarian Cancer

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A cluster of three common symptoms in women -- a swollen abdomen, a

bloated feeling and urgent urination -- should raise suspicions of

ovarian cancer if they are persistent, severe and began recently, a study

says.

The symptoms are among many that have been associated with ovarian

cancer. But because they also affect most healthy women at some point,they

are often not seen as a tip-off to cancer.

All three symptoms were found in 43 percent of women later diagnosed with

ovarian cancer, but in just 8 percent of women without the disease.

The lack of identifiable symptoms has contributed to the relatively poor

prognosis for women with ovarian cancer. Nearly 26,000 U.S. women will be

diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and more than 16,000 will

die of it, the American Cancer Society estimates.

The new study may help identify women who should have further tests, said

lead author Barbara Goff, a gynecologic cancer specialist at the University

of Washington.