Symptoms of ovarian cancer in females

Pay attention when a symptom is new for you, happens repeatedly, or does not settle. Some people notice pressure or pain in the pelvis or abdomen, feeling full quickly, constipation, diarrhoea, frequent urination, fatigue, backache, or unexplained weight loss. Menstrual changes or bleeding after menopause should not be ignored. Symptoms alone cannot establish the diagnosis, because digestive, urinary, hormonal, medication-related, and benign ovarian conditions may look similar.

Write down the symptom, its timing, frequency, severity, associated bleeding, bowel or bladder changes, and any medicines or family history that may matter. Book a primary-care or gynaecology appointment. A clinician may perform an examination and request tests, including a Pelvic Ultrasound, to investigate the ovaries and pelvis. The next step depends on the examination and results rather than on one symptom alone.

Contact a clinician promptly for persistent abdominal swelling, repeated vomiting, post-menopausal bleeding, worsening pelvic pain, inability to eat or drink, new breathlessness, fainting, or substantial weakness. Use emergency services for sudden severe pain, collapse, or severe breathing difficulty. Urgency is based on the red flag and how unwell you are, not on an assumption that a symptom is cancer.

Ask which causes are being considered, whether you need an examination or scan, what changes should trigger faster review, and when results will be available. If testing identifies cancer, ask about staging, BRCA Genetic Testing, surgery, chemotherapy, and symptom support.