Ovarian cancer patient survives 20 years

Patients with advanced ovarian cancer are advised not to undergo surgical treatment, as this will only increase the spread of their cancer cells. They should instead receive more conservative treatment to prevent the cancer cells inside their bodies from spreading. If their bodies become infected, they should receive relevant drug treatment, otherwise it will lead to intestinal adhesions, which will make the condition particularly serious.

Generally speaking, ovarian tumors do not cause acute abdominal pain, but sudden abdominal pain may occur in the following situations.

Pedicled torsion

About 10% of ovarian tumors are complicated by pedicle torsion, which is a common gynecological acute abdomen. Pedicle torsion is common in teratomas and is prone to occur when the body position changes suddenly. After twisting, bleeding occurred inside the tumor, causing the tumor to grow rapidly. Due to obstructed blood flow, the tumor may become necrotic and prone to secondary infection or rupture. The typical symptom of acute torsion is sudden unilateral lower abdominal pain, which may be relieved or aggravated as the body position changes. May be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and even shock. Gynecological examination may reveal a mass with obvious tenderness, great tension, and muscle tension. Sometimes the torsion corrects itself, and the abdominal pain is relieved. Once pedicle torsion is diagnosed, surgical treatment is required as soon as possible.

rupture

The incidence rate is about 3%, and it may rupture spontaneously or due to external pressure. The severity of symptoms depends on the nature of the cyst and the amount of cystic fluid that flows into the abdominal cavity. It may cause only mild abdominal pain or severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes internal bleeding and shock. Examination may reveal abdominal tenderness and rebound tenderness, and the original mass cannot be felt or only a deflated mass can be felt. If there is any suspicion of tumor rupture, laparotomy should be performed immediately to remove the tumor and thoroughly clean the abdominal cavity.

Infect

It is rare, mostly caused by adhesion of the tumor to the intestine after twisting or rupture, or it may be caused by the spread of infection foci in adjacent organs. Clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, fever, and a tender mass. Treatment is surgical removal of the tumor after adequate control of the infection.

Malignant transformation

Benign ovarian tumors can become malignant. If the tumor is found to be growing rapidly or ascites appears, the possibility of malignancy should be considered and surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

There are often no symptoms at first, and some patients accidentally touch a mass in the lower abdomen or discover it accidentally during a gynecological examination. You may often feel discomfort in the lower abdomen, but generally there is no obvious abdominal pain. Lower abdominal pain may occur when complications such as pedicle torsion, rupture, and infection occur. Some patients may experience menstrual disorders or amenorrhea. If the tumor is incarcerated in the pelvic cavity, it can cause frequent urination and constipation. When a huge ovarian tumor compresses the diaphragm or pleural effusion and ascites occur, dyspnea and palpitations may occur.

If it is a malignant tumor, the patient often has digestive tract symptoms such as loss of appetite and indigestion. When there is ascites, abdominal distension may occur. Some patients will therefore go to the gastroenterology department for treatment. In addition, as the tumor grows and ascites appears, some patients may feel an increase in waist circumference, and may even think they are obese and try to lose weight. In the late stage of ovarian cancer, symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and anemia may occur.