What should you know about shoulder pain and ovarian cancer?

The diaphragm shares nerve pathways with the shoulder area. Fluid, inflammation or pressure in the abdomen can therefore be felt as pain near the shoulder, even when the shoulder joint itself is healthy. Ovarian cancer may also present with bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling full quickly, urinary changes or changes in bowel habit.

These symptoms are common in many non-cancer conditions. A clinician considers their pattern, persistence, examination findings and other health details together. Shoulder pain that changes with movement or follows an injury may have a musculoskeletal cause, while pain with breathing can need a different assessment.

Record when the pain began, where it is felt, whether it is linked with meals or breathing, and whether abdominal or pelvic symptoms occur alongside it. Arrange a medical assessment if symptoms persist, recur or are accompanied by bloating, early fullness or abnormal bleeding. A pelvic ultrasound may be used to examine the ovaries and nearby structures.

If ovarian cancer is diagnosed, the team may discuss surgery, chemotherapy, genetic testing or tumour profiling according to the findings. Treatment decisions are based on the cancer's type and extent, not on shoulder pain alone.

Seek urgent help for sudden severe abdominal pain, fainting, heavy vaginal bleeding, chest pain, severe breathlessness or a swollen painful abdomen. Contact a clinician promptly for persistent vomiting, inability to eat or drink, rapidly increasing abdominal swelling, or shoulder pain with new abdominal symptoms. Urgency is guided by the warning sign and how unwell you feel.

Could my shoulder pain be referred from the abdomen, or does the examination suggest another cause? Do I need a pelvic ultrasound? Which accompanying symptoms should prompt urgent review? If a mass is found, what tests will clarify its nature before treatment is chosen?