The Silent Ovarian Killer and Cervical Cancer Warning: Early Symptom Detection, Combined Screening Strategies, and Comprehensive Prevention Programs

(III) Early Symptoms of Cervical Cancer (1) Irregular vaginal bleeding, especially vaginal bleeding outside of menstruation, bleeding during intercourse, and bleeding at any time after menopause. (2) Foul-smelling vaginal discharge. (3) Pelvic pain and back pain. (4) Blood or pain during urination. (5) General fatigue and weight loss. Although the above symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have cervical cancer, you must go to the hospital for examination immediately for diagnosis. (IV) Cervical Cancer is the only gynecological disease that can be detected early. Compared to endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, cervical precancerous lesions have more obvious symptoms and can be divided into three types: mild, moderate, and severe. The likelihood of developing into cervical cancer varies depending on the severity of the condition. Generally speaking, 15% of mild, 30% of moderate, and 45% of severe cervical precancerous lesions will develop into cervical cancer. The more severe the precancerous lesion, the greater the probability of developing into cervical cancer. Mild cervical precancerous lesions can be completely cured with timely treatment.

VIII. High-risk groups for ovarian cancer include women with one or more of the following characteristics who are at higher risk of developing ovarian cancer: (1) Family history of ovarian, breast, or colon cancer. (2) Personal history of breast, endometrial, or colon cancer. (3) Women who are nulliparous or infertile, or women who had early menarche (before age 12) or menopause after age 50. (4) Reproductive tract exposure to talcum powder or asbestos (industrial pollution, condoms, talcum powder dust, etc.). (5) Use of fertility-inducing drugs for more than 3 cycles (discuss this with your doctor). (6) Surveys have found a higher incidence rate among women in affluent areas, which may be related to the high fat content in their diet, especially animal fat. (7) Oral contraceptives can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is often asymptomatic in its early stages and is often discovered incidentally during gynecological examinations. The following should be taken very seriously: mild but persistent gastrointestinal discomfort, such as bloating, nausea, poor appetite, or indigestion. (1) Frequent and/or urgent urination. (2) Unexplained changes in bowel habits. (3) Abnormal vaginal bleeding after menopause. (4) Weight gain or loss. (5) Abdominal bloating and/or pain. (6) Pain during intercourse. If these symptoms have persisted for more than 4–6 weeks, a comprehensive rectovaginal gynecological examination is recommended. If the examination reveals irregular ovarian development, further examination, including transvaginal ultrasound and/or tumor marker testing, should be performed. The most commonly used blood tumor marker is CA-125.

(I) Ovarian Cancer: A Silent Killer That Can Be Detected Early. Ovarian cancer often has no obvious early symptoms and is often called a "silent killer." Scientists have found that the "silent killer" is not actually silent, as ovarian cancer can also manifest in its early stages. Early detection of these symptoms can help in the early diagnosis of the disease and improve the cure rate of patients. American medical reports that abdominal distension, pelvic pain, and urinary urgency may be early manifestations of ovarian tumors. Especially when these symptoms are more severe, occur frequently, and occur simultaneously, women are more likely to have ovarian tumors. Women who later developed ovarian cancer all experienced varying degrees of abdominal distension, pelvic pain, and urinary urgency, and their incidence was higher than that of healthy women. These symptoms often appeared suddenly or simultaneously. Studies have shown that if ovarian cancer patients can receive early diagnosis and treatment, their survival rate can reach about 90%. However, if the cancer progresses to the late stage, the survival rate is only 20%. (II) Screening Can Detect Ovarian Cancer Early detection of ovarian cancer mainly relies on regular screening of high-risk groups. Currently, the main screening methods are as follows: (1) CA125: It is the most commonly used tumor marker in the clinical diagnosis and screening of ovarian cancer. Clinical studies have found that women with serum CA125 levels within the normal range but with a continuously increasing trend have an increasing risk of ovarian cancer. (2) Ultrasound examination: It has been widely used in the clinical diagnosis of suspicious pelvic masses. Applying color Doppler flow imaging to screening can differentiate between benign and malignant tumors, further improving the specificity of screening. (3) Combined screening using multiple modes: Combining dynamic monitoring of CA125, pelvic ultrasound examination and color Doppler flow imaging can significantly improve the detection rate of early ovarian cancer, thereby significantly improving the cure rate of ovarian cancer.