Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Leg Pain

Ovarian cancer or ovarian carcinoma is a cancer of ovaries. Every year, 1,100 women hear that they have ovarian cancer. In most cases, the cause is unknown. Ovarian cancer is often unnoticed and results in little or no phenomena. Warning signals include continuous vague pain or cramps in the abdomen or back, leg pain, irregular vaginal blood loss, nausea and bloating.

In the early stage, the tumor is restricted to one or both ovaries. From here, ovarian cancer can grow directly into surrounding tissues and organs, such as the fallopian tubes, the bladder, and the intestines. Cancer cells can also break and enter the abdominal cavity. Here they can spread through the normal fluid flow into the abdominal cavity and sow through the lymph nodes in this area to the lungs and other organs. Because the ovaries are free in the abdominal cavity, this can already happen in the early stages of the disease. Swollen abdomen/bloating, lower abdominal and leg pain may be ovarian cancer symptoms.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the female reproductive organs, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries. That amounts to about 1000 women. They are usually between 50 and 70 years old. In 70 percent of cases, ovarian cancer is only discovered at a late stage.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

Because the ovaries are free in the abdominal cavity, tumors that grow here do not repress organs. As a result, early ovarian cancer usually causes no or few complaints. Symptoms often occur only when the disease has expanded. You may then get the following symptoms:

• A thicker belly / bloated feeling.
• Difficult with food by a full feeling.

hese complaints are caused by moisture accumulation in the abdomen and/or increasing the affected ovary (s).

• Nausea
• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• More than normal peeing
• Constipation
• Irregular vaginal blood loss
• Sometimes the ovary rotates around its own axis, causing acute pain
• Serious fatigue
• Inexplicable weight loss
• Lower abdominal and leg pain

The above complaints do not have to indicate ovarian cancer, but if they last for more than three weeks, it is important to have you examined by the GP. If your stomach becomes thicker, it is wise to go to the GP directly.

Research and diagnosis of ovarian cancer

If you have symptoms that may be associated with ovarian cancer, go to your GP. He will first investigate you physically. There is also a gynecological examination.
The GP will refer you to a gynecologist if necessary. This is a doctor specializing in diseases of the female genitals. The gynecologist examines you more extensively.

These can be the following studies:

• Physical examination 
• Gynecological research
• Ultrasound
• Blood test

If the doctor suspects that you have ovarian cancer, then more research is often required. This happens in one of the gynecological-oncological centers. With these investigations, the physician determines how much the tumor has expanded and whether there are sores. This way he can determine which treatment is most appropriate.

You can get the following surveys:

• CT scan
• Sometimes an MRI scan
• Ascites puncture

Risk factors for ovarian cancer

The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. It is well known that ovarian cancer is more common in women who have not had or few children. Ovarian cancer can occur at all ages but usually, occurs between 55 and 80 years.

There are indications that reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by:

• a large number of pregnancies
• to breastfeed
• the use of the contraceptive pill

Cancer is not contagious. Also ovarian cancer not. No intercourse is possible through sexual intercourse.

Heredity and ovarian cancer

About 10% of ovarian cancer women have had the disease through a hereditary plant. There are 2 forms of ovarian cancer that can be caused by heredity:

• A combination of hereditary ovarian cancer with hereditary breast cancer ( BRCA ) 
• The Lynch syndrome where ovarian cancer can interact with, among other things, colon cancer 

Every woman with ovarian cancer is eligible for DNA research. This will allow the doctor to see if you have a hereditary form.

Different types of ovarian cancer

In ovarian cancer (also called ovarian carcinoma) malignant tumors develop in the ovarian tissue. The type of cells that fires determine the type of ovarian cancer that someone gets. Broadly speaking, we distinguish three different forms:

• Epithelial ovarian cancer (or adenocarcinoma): In this case, cancer starts on the surface of the ovaries (the epithelium). This is the most common form (80-90 percent) of ovarian cancer. At 15 percent of all diagnoses, it is a boundary between a benign and malignant tumor. These are called epithelial borderline tumors.
• Gonadal tumor cell tumor: cancer originates from the tissue layer that produces hormones (the stroma). There are several types of tumors that fall into this group. Usually, this is a so-called granulocellular tumor. Often these female sex hormones (estrogens) produce. This can cause irregular blood loss.
• Germ cell tumor: The tumors originate from immature ova. This form of ovarian cancer is very rare and occurs especially in young girls.

Growth methods

In the initial stage, the tumor is restricted to one or both ovaries. From here, ovarian cancer can grow directly into surrounding tissues and organs, such as the fallopian tubes, the bladder, and the intestines. Cancer cells can also break and enter the abdominal cavity. Here they can spread through the normal fluid flow into the abdominal cavity and sow through the lymph nodes in this area to the lungs and other organs. Because the ovaries are free in the abdominal cavity, this can already happen in the early stages of the disease. When ovarian cancer has expanded to other tissues and/or organs, it is said of an advanced stage.

Ovarian cancer treatment

You will receive 1 or more of the following treatments:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy

Usually, you get a combination of these treatments.

Ovarian cancer usually only causes complaints at a later stage if the cancer is already spread in the abdominal cavity. The chance is therefore that you have ovarian cancer at a later stage. The treatment then consists of an operation in combination with chemotherapy.

Do you have a stage I or II A tumor? Then an operation in which the physician removes the tumor may be sufficient. You usually do not get chemotherapy.

Survival Ovarian Cancer

The survival of ovarian cancer is best for patients with stage I. More than 90% of these patients are still alive after 3 years. For patients with ovarian cancer stage IV, after 1 year 55% and after 3 years less than 30% are still alive.

The survival of ovarian cancer has not improved over time. After 5 years, slightly less than 40% of patients are still alive.

*Image source : Wikimedia Commons

References :

1. National Cancer Institute
2. Mayo Clinic
3. American Cancer Society