To mark Turquoise September, Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Alex Macgillivray, a 26-year-old Welsh woman, wanted to share her story to alert other young women to the little-known symptoms of ovarian cancer.
At the beginning of the year, the young woman, who suffered from recurring back pain that she attributed to a lack of mobility in her hips, decided to sign up for yoga classes, which she followed assiduously. But while her flexibility improved, the pain intensified.
Doctor suspects appendicitis
In June, she decided to see a doctor, especially since the back pain was now accompanied by bloating and pain in the groin. “I hadn’t changed anything in my diet, I felt that something was wrong,” she explains. au Daily Mail. “My belly was distended, I looked and felt pregnant.”
Suspecting an inflamed appendix, the doctor sent her to the hospital for an ultrasound scan. On the scans, the doctors discovered two ovarian germ cell tumors measuring 12 and 8 cm.
A rare type of ovarian cancer
Germ cell tumors, a rare type of ovarian cancer, are more common in women under 30. They develop from germ cells, the ones that create eggs. They represent 5% of ovarian tumors and, in France, they affect about a hundred women per year, we learned on Orphanet.
When treated promptly, these tumors have an excellent prognosis with a return to normal menstrual function and fertility rates. The young woman, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy, is now urging anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to get checked out immediately.
Cancer often diagnosed too late
“I was lucky because this cancer progresses silently and women are often diagnosed too late. This is why I advise all young women to go to the doctor to get checked as soon as they have unusual symptoms,” she insists.
If ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late, it is because the ovaries are not very sensitive in the first stage of the disease. “The patient usually does not feel any symptoms, particularly no pain, related to the tumor. As it progresses, the tumor will spread to neighboring structures such as the peritoneum, this time causing symptoms,” explains Professor Benoit You, deputy head of the medical oncology department at Lyon Sud hospital, on the occasion of turquoise September.
Signs that may alert you
Back pain: The development of the tumor in the pelvis or abdomen, can cause inflammation of the tissues of the lower back.
More frequent urge to urinate: the tumor can in fact press on the bladder, responsible for this almost permanent need to urinate.
Unusual bleeding: If you bleed between periods or start bleeding again after menopause, this may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance caused by the tumor.
Swollen belly: Bloating is one of the warning signs of ovarian cancer, but it is too often overlooked.
You have lost your appetite: or you feel full more quickly, this may be a sign of too much fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Source: www.topsante.com
