With each passing year, cancer is becoming more and more common. In women, ovarian cancer is particularly the most prevalent and is also one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. One of the primary reasons why the specific form of cancer is so deadly is that many women tend to ignore the signs that can possibly hint at its development.
In fact, a new conducted by Target Ovarian Cancer, which is a non-profit organization based in the United Kingdom, shows that the majority of the women make lifestyle and diet changes whenever they notice symptoms of cancer instead of visiting a health professional for a diagnosis.
This is because the early signs are not very distinctive and can be easily confused with symptoms of everyday health conditions. For instance, bloating and stomachache are both the signs of multiple health conditions and cancer is not usually the first thought that comes into a person’s mind when feeling nauseated or having stomach pain.
The chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, Annwen Jone, says that feeling full and bloated as well as having constant stomach pain is not normal. Any woman having these symptoms should be concerned and should make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.
Even if there is a low risk of developing cancer, getting a checkup and being more cautious is also recommended by health experts as it can clarify whether a person has a serious medical condition or not. In case cancer is diagnosed, early treatment can increase the chances of successful treatment.
In the case of ovarian cancer, an early diagnosis is key to getting treatment. The earlier the cancer is detected, the higher are the survival and success chances. On the other hand, a diagnosis in late stages decreases the chances of getting treated in the majority of the cases of all types of cancers.
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However, the findings of the recent survey from the UK found that only thirty-four percent of the women choose to visit a doctor after experiencing constant bloating. In comparison, around fifty percent of the women stated that they would opt for lifestyle intervention including changes in the diet rather than making an appointment with a doctor.
Forty-three percent of the women stated that they will use symptoms checks or use google if the symptoms persist while twenty-three percent would try medications for the treatment of bloating and stomach pain and twenty-two percent would try and add additional exercises in their routine.
A previous survey which was also conducted by the same organization also found that only one in five women associated constant bloating and stomach pain with the development of ovarian cancer.
The results of both the surveys show that lack of knowledge regarding cancer symptoms is one of the primary reasons why mortality rates are very high in patients with the health condition to this day. Early diagnosis is still very rare in most women.
Statistically, only twenty percent of the cases are detected in an early stage. While the known early symptoms can easily be confused, women should always take them seriously and get a test on time even if the risk is low as it always better to be cautious.