Top tips and getting the most of your doctor’s appointment:
- Try not to be embarrassed. Doctors are used to discussing intimate problems.
- Tell your ‘story’. Write down your symptoms, when did they start, when do they happen and how often. Our symptoms diary will help with this (Click here to download)
- When giving timings try to be accurate.
- What makes your symptoms better or worse?
- How do your symptoms impact your life?
- Tell your doctor you are worried about cancer.
- Do you have any family history of ovarian or breast cancer?
- Take a friend or relative along for support, as well as to ask questions or take notes for you.
- Do not be afraid to ask your doctor to explain anything you do not understand.
- Ask your doctor to write things down and provide you with leaflets or links to websites.
What happens next?
Your Doctor will examine your abdomen to feel for anything unusual. They may also do an internal vaginal examination.
Blood Test (CA125)
If your doctor thinks your symptoms may be due to ovarian cancer, they will arrange for you to have a blood test called CA125. A raised level of CA125 could be a sign of ovarian cancer, but it can also be a sign of other conditions.
Ultrasound Scan
If your CA125 level is raised, your doctor will arrange an ultrasound scan. An ultrasound scan is where high-frequency sound waves are used to create an image of the inside of your body. A small device is moved over your abdomen and pelvis (abdominal scan) or into your vagina (transvaginal scan) to create an image of your ovaries, womb and fallopian tubes.
If any abnormalities are found, you will be referred to a specialist, a gynaecologist, for further tests to confirm the cause. Tests may include a CT scan and/or keyhole surgery (laparoscopy).
If your CA125 and/or ultrasound comes back normal, it is unlikely you have ovarian cancer. It is important however to continue monitoring your symptoms and return to your doctor if they do not improve.
Screening
There is no national screening for ovarian cancer.
