Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
More often than not, it is almost impossible to tell that someone has ovarian cancer in the early stages. Ovarian cancer diagnosis can not happen until such a time when the disease has spread to other parts. When some of the common symptoms like back pain, abdominal pain and bloating show up, it is worthwhile to visit a doctor so that it can be ascertained whether one has ovarian cancer is some other disease.
When you go to the doctor, the first step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis is a physical exam. This will basically include the doctor checking your body for any physical signs of the presence of the disease. They may press your abdomen so that they can tell if there are any tumors or to tell if there is any fluid fill up. This is done along side a series of question to identify if there are some other possible reasons why you would be having the symptoms. The doctor will find out your medical history so that they can make recommendations based on facts that they have attained.
A pelvic exam is also taken as the other step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis. This pelvic test will involve the doctor taking some time to feel the ovaries as well as other surrounding organs. The reason for this it to feel if there are any lumps or if there has been any kind of alteration in terms of size or shape of the organs being felt. A pap test is also carried out at this point even though it is not exactly used for the collection of the ovarian cells. This test identifies if there is cervical cancer and in many cases, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer can have many cross over similarities.
There are instances where the doctor may deem it fit to carry out blood tests. In such a case, the doctor will be looking to see if there are certain substances present in the blood. Substances like CA-125 are searched for in the blood. This particular substance is usually on the surface of the ovary and incase the substance is highly concentrated, it could mean that the cancerous cells are present and are spreading. It could also be a sign of the presence of other conditions and therefore can not exclusively be used as the perfect diagnosis for ovarian cancer.
Ultrasound is also another step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis process. The use of ultrasound helps the medical experts to detect the presence of certain substances using sound waves which can not ordinarily be heard by the human ear. This works in such a way that sound is bounced into the inner parts of the pelvis and then a picture is created basing on the echoes that are produced when the sound bounces off the organs where it has been directed.
A biopsy is yet another stage in the ovarian cancer diagnosis and this entails the elimination of tissue fluid as the search of cancer goes on. Depending on what happens from the ultrasound and blood test, the doctor might find it worthwhile to recommend the removal of tissue fluid from the areas of the abdomen as well as the pelvis.
Related Topics:
- Ovarian Cancer Definition
- Ovarian Cancer Causes
- Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
- Bone Cancer Diagnosis
- Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
- Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
- Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis