Symptom: Bloating and Pelvic Pain
Likely cause: Gastrointestinal bug
Worst-case scenario: Ovarian cancer
Several medical groups, including the American Cancer Society, warned in 2007 that bloating and pelvic pain can be early signs of ovarian cancer -- big news, since doctors have long believed that this often deadly disease is symptomless until it's too advanced to treat. "If caught early, ovarian cancer is up to 90 percent curable," says Barbara Goff, MD, of the University of Washington.
Other signs it may be serious: Additional symptoms of ovarian cancer include feeling full quickly or having difficulty eating, urinating frequently or with great urgency, and changing bowel habits. You're at increased risk if you have a family history of the illness, have tested positive for mutations in the genes BRCA 1 or BRCA 2, or have been on hormone therapy. (Your risks are lower if you have had at least one child, breastfed a baby, taken birth control pills, and maintained a healthy weight.)
When to act: "If the symptoms are new, occur almost every day, last more than a few weeks, and don't go away if you eat more fiber, reduce your salt intake, or exercise more frequently, schedule an appointment with your gynecologist," says Linda R. Duska, MD, of the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. Ask to be seen within two weeks. Diagnosis is tricky, so don't be afraid to push your doctor for appropriate testing: a pelvic ultrasound and perhaps a blood test to check your level of CA-125, a substance found in high amounts in the blood of many women with ovarian cancer. Partly because the incidence of ovarian cancer rises with age, the ACS recommends annual pelvic exams for all women over age 40.
