Women in Kentucky may want to learn more about ovarian cancer, especially as its early signs are often misdiagnosed or confused with another illness. When the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is missed by a doctor, treatment can be delayed, and the disease may progress significantly. One reason why ovarian cancer is known for its significant death toll is that many women are diagnosed only after the cancer has already spread. Gynecologists say that ovarian cancer takes too many lives due to misdiagnosis and a lack of awareness about the disease’s threat.
In order to help prevent misdiagnosis and advocate for their health, it can be important for women to know more about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Every year, 250,000 women are diagnosed while 140,000 lose their lives to the disease. Some of the common symptoms include belly pain, a feeling of fullness, frequent urination, indigestion, shortness of breath, bloating or weight gain. If the cancer is discovered while it is confined to the ovaries themselves, it is highly treatable with a 90 percent five-year survival rate. This means that these symptoms, which may seem unimportant or typical signs of aging, should be investigated by a doctor.
Many people think that pap smears would diagnose ovarian cancer, but they are meant only to detect cervical cancer, not other cancers of the female reproductive system. In addition, there are genetic links to ovarian cancer; doctors estimate that there are 100 genes linked to an elevated risk of the disease.
Unfortunately, thousands of women lose their lives due to ovarian cancers that go undetected and misdiagnosed. When doctors fail to diagnose cancer, the consequences can be serious and even deadly. A medical malpractice attorney may work with people who have suffered severe health consequences as a result of a medical mistake in order to pursue compensation.