Things You'll Need:
- Journal or notepad Gynecologist's contact information
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Step 1
Pay attention to the early symptoms of ovarian cancer. These include a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, bloating, gas that is not easily relieved, pain during sexual intercourse, irregular bleeding and a frequent need to urinate. Write your symptoms down, including how frequent they are and for how long, so that you have a record to discuss with your doctor if needed.
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Step 2
See your gynecologist for regular pelvic exams. If the ovaries are swollen, the doctor may be able to feel them. In addition, a Pap smear can detect ovarian cancer, but sadly, this is usually when the cancer has reached an advanced and deadly status.
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Step 3
Ask for a blood test. The CA-125 test can determine whether there is a high level of the CA-125 protein in a woman's blood, which can be an indicator of ovarian cancer, although not in all cases. This test is only usually given to women with a high risk of developing ovarian cancer because of a family history of the disease.
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Step 4
Ask for a transvaginal sonogram. This is a procedure where an ultrasound is taken of the ovaries. If there are growths on the ovaries, they will show up in the images. Unfortunately, it may be hard to tell whether the growths are cancerous.
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Step 5
Submit to a biopsy. A biopsy is a surgical procedure that will test the ovarian tissue for cancer. This is the only sure way to diagnose the disease.
