Suddenly found yourself with bloating and a thick waist? It may be this disease, be alert!

Ms. Wang, 52, suddenly found that her waistline had increased several sizes recently. "Have I gained weight by eating too much?" But when she recalled her appetite in recent months, she realized that she had not had a very good appetite and often felt bloated. Taking stomach medicine did not provide any significant relief.

Ms. Wang went to the gastroenterology department of the hospital and had a gastroscopy on the doctor's advice. She was diagnosed with "chronic superficial gastritis", but the effect of taking medicine again was average. "You may need to see a gynecologist!" The doctor suggested during the follow-up visit.

[Abdominal distension and waist thickening turned out to be ovarian cancer]
Ms. Wang couldn't help wondering: "What does abdominal distension have to do with gynecology?" She went to the gynecology department for a check-up with doubts, and it turned out that it was the large amount of ascites caused by advanced ovarian cancer that caused the abdominal distension and increased waist circumference.

Why should I see a gynecologist for abdominal bloating?

In most people's minds, abdominal distension is a matter of gastroenterology and has nothing to do with gynecology. It is precisely this idea that makes many people lose the opportunity to detect ovarian cancer, a common gynecological malignancy, at an early stage. It is not impossible to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage, and there are still some clues to follow.

[Five symptoms to alert ovarian cancer]
1. Gastrointestinal discomfort

Early stage patients often present with the first symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract. If you often feel bloating, constipation, and loss of appetite, and no gastrointestinal disease is found in the gastroenterology examination, you should be alert to whether you have ovarian cancer. Do not think that it is an old stomach disease. Because advanced ovarian cancer is often accompanied by a large amount of ascites, bloating will be more obvious, and abdominal pain may also occur.

2. Your belly is getting bigger or you feel a lump

Ovarian cancer combined with ascites or tumors gradually increasing can cause abdominal distension. Therefore, if the abdominal swelling lasts for several days or even weeks, please consult a doctor and do not mistake it for obesity. Some patients accidentally feel a mass in the lower abdomen when they wake up in the morning with a full bladder, but when the mass is small (less than or equal to 7 cm), they often cannot feel it themselves and must rely on B-ultrasound examination to find it. Therefore, regular gynecological cancer prevention examinations are necessary.

3. Menstrual changes

About half of ovarian cancer patients have irregular menstruation and irregular vaginal bleeding. Clinically, ovarian dysfunction is also found, such as delayed menarche, early menopause, dysmenorrhea, etc. Single, infertile or with a family history of ovarian cancer are more susceptible to this disease.

4. Compression symptoms

Larger pelvic tumors often present with obvious compression symptoms, including frequent urination, urgent bowel movements, anal blockage, lower abdominal distension, or constipation. When compression even involves the lumbosacral nerves and peritoneum, it can cause back pain and abdominal pain.

5. Edema of lower limbs and vulva

As the disease progresses, the ovarian tumor gradually grows larger and will compress the pelvic veins, affecting venous blood return and increasing lymphatic vessel pressure, which in turn leads to edema of the lower limbs and vulva. In severe cases, blood clots in the lower limbs may also occur.

Gynecological examination helps detect ovarian cancer early
The peak age for ovarian cancer is 50-60 years old, and most cases are concentrated between 40-70 years old. Therefore, as long as women have regular physical examinations after middle age, it is possible to detect ovarian cancer early. Especially those with a family history of cancer and direct relatives with breast cancer or ovarian cancer should be especially vigilant. Epidemiological research results show that the risk of ovarian cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation carriers in their lifetime is 54% and 23% respectively, which is a high-risk group for ovarian cancer. Therefore, it is recommended that:

1. Adult women should undergo routine gynecological examinations every year. Ovarian cancer can be detected early through B-ultrasound and blood tests for tumor markers.

2. Women who have the conditions can go to a specialist hospital for BRCA genetic testing. If they are in a high-risk group, they can take relevant preventive measures or increase the frequency of examinations. American movie star Angelina Jolie, who carries the BRCA mutation gene, took preventive treatment measures and removed her breasts and ovaries, eliminating the possibility of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.