Swollen stomach, diffuse pain, changing transit: for many women, these signs suggest a common digestive disorder. However, some of these frequent digestive symptoms were found both in patients with cancer and in those followed for functional disorders, in a study published in the journal
Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. An important fact to know, when precisely this gray area sometimes delays the diagnosis.
Ovarian cancer, a potentially fatal disease, shares symptoms with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic but non-cancerous disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unusual signs that last at least two weeks should prompt you to seek medical attention.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) emphasizes regular, repeated symptoms, particularly when they occur more than 12 times a month.
Common symptoms between ovarian cancer and IBS
Both conditions often cause bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain and changes in bowel habits.
- Ovarian cancer also causes persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, a rapid feeling of fullness, changes in bowel habits and unexplained weight loss, with more frequent urges to urinate.
- IBS mainly causes cramps, gas, diarrhea or constipation, sometimes with the presence of mucus in the stools.
The difference mainly comes down to rhythm. According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, symptoms of ovarian cancer tend to be constant and get worse over time.
With IBS, the pain is usually intermittent, often relieved by defecation and related to a change in frequency or consistency of stools.
Finally, several recommendations remind us that IBS does not cause unexplained weight loss or increased urinary frequency.
Signs that point towards ovarian cancer
For NICE, bloating or pelvic pain that often recurs, associated with early satiety or a frequent urge to urinate, then justifies a check-up for ovarian cancer. The institute recommends being particularly attentive to women aged 50 or over when new IBS-type symptoms appear within the last year.
Age, as well as a personal or family history of ovarian or breast cancer, and the presence of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation increase the level of vigilance.
Early diagnosis clearly improves the chances of effective treatment, as these recommendations point out.
Faced with these signals, NICE recommends a dosage of the tumor marker CA-125 in general medicine. If the level is greater than or equal to 35 international units per milliliter, an abdominal-pelvic or transvaginal ultrasound is performed, before possible scanners. The Mayo Clinic and the US Preventive Services Task Force specify that this test is not used for systematic screening in women without symptoms.
IBS is more likely when the pain subsides after a bowel movement and varies with stress.
The main thing to remember from this comparison: if a recent symptom persists, worsens, leads to weight loss, bleeding or occurs after the age of 50, it is better to consult quickly.