--- title: "Ovarian cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment | HealthAnswers" description: "Ovarian cancer — symptoms often mistaken for IBS, diagnosis, CA125 blood test, and NHS treatment overview." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/ robots: noindex --- # Ovarian cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment | HealthAnswers Health A–Z Ovarian cancer — symptoms often mistaken for IBS, diagnosis, CA125 blood test, and NHS treatment overview. Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [HealthAnswers UK doctor review panel](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/) Reviewed 3 July 2026 ## Quick answer What is ovarian cancer? Ovarian cancer affects the ovaries or fallopian tubes — often diagnosed late because early symptoms are vague — bloating, feeling full quickly, tummy pain, and needing to urinate often. See a GP if these symptoms are new, frequent (more than 12 days a month), and persistent. CA125 blood test and ultrasound help assessment — not screening test for general population. Treatment is usually surgery and chemotherapy. Higher risk if BRCA gene mutation or strong family history. ## Who is this page for? This page is for people in the UK who want a plain-English overview of Ovarian cancer, including when to seek help and what NHS care usually involves. It explains general information, not what is wrong with you personally. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 7 sections ## Key facts about ovarian cancer - Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in UK women — about 7,500 cases yearly. - Symptoms overlap IBS — persistent bloating, early satiety, pelvic pain, urinary urgency — BEACH criteria guide GP assessment. - No effective national screening programme — cervical smear does not detect ovarian cancer. - CA125 can be raised in ovarian cancer but also endometriosis, fibroids, and menstruation — not diagnostic alone. - BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations significantly increase risk — genetic testing if family history. ## Ovarian cancer — the silent spreader **Ovarian cancer** includes cancers of **ovary, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneum** — often grouped as **high-grade serous carcinoma** — **~7,500 UK cases yearly**. **Late diagnosis common** — symptoms mimic **IBS**, **UTI**, **menopause** — **know persistent pattern**. ## Symptoms — BEACH / NICE guidance **Persistent (≥3 weeks), frequent (≥12 days/month):** - B loating — increased abdominal size - E ating difficulty — early satiety - A bdominal/pelvic pain - C hanges in bowel/bladder habit - H — healthcare visit if concerned Also: - back pain - fatigue - unintentional weight loss **Not:** one meal bloating — **pattern over weeks**. ## Risk factors - age — peak 75–79 - BRCA1/BRCA2 — 40–60% lifetime risk BRCA1 - family history — breast + ovarian - ** Lynch syndrome (HNPCC)** - ** endometriosis** — modest increase - HRT — small increase — individual discussion - nulliparity , late menopause **Oral contraceptive** — **reduces risk** — protective ## No screening programme **UKCTOCS trial** — **annual CA125 + ultrasound** — **did not reduce mortality** sufficiently — **no population screen**. **High-risk pathway:** - genetics clinic - risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy — BRCA after family complete — ~ age 35–40 BRCA1, 40–45 BRCA2 ## Diagnosis **GP assessment:** - abdominal examination — ascites , mass - CA125 — if ≥50 or suspicious symptoms younger - pelvic ultrasound — transvaginal **Risk of malignancy index (RMI)** — guides **2-week wait gynae-oncology** **CT chest/abdomen/pelvis** — staging **Diagnosis** — **histology** at surgery or image-guided biopsy ## Treatment **Surgery:** - total hysterectomy, BSO, omentectomy , peritoneal staging - optimal debulking — no visible residual improves survival **Chemotherapy:** - carboplatin + paclitaxel — 6 cycles - intraperitoneal selected cases **Maintenance:** - PARP inhibitors — BRCA mutated , HRD positive - bevacizumab selected **Advanced/recurrent** — **platinum rechallenge**, **clinical trials** ## Ovarian cancer vs IBS | | Ovarian cancer | IBS | | --- | --- | --- | | Onset | New persistent | Often years | | Bloating | Progressive | Variable | | Age | Postmenopausal peak | Any | | CA125/US | May abnormal | Normal | See [IBS](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/) — **do not label new 60-year-old bloating IBS without examination**. **Persistent BEACH symptoms** — **GP within weeks**, not months — **curable stages exist** when found early. ## ! When to see a GP about ovarian cancer See a GP if you have persistent bloating, feeling full quickly, abdominal or pelvic pain, or urinary urgency — especially if more than 12 days in a month and new from your normal. 2-week wait referral if examination or tests suggest cancer. Discuss genetic testing if two or more relatives with ovarian or breast cancer at young age. ## Common questions about ovarian cancer What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer? Persistent bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, abdominal or pelvic pain, urinary urgency or frequency. Less commonly — back pain, fatigue, changed bowel habit, weight loss. Symptoms usually frequent (more than 12 days monthly) and persistent over weeks — not one-off bloating after large meal. Is there a screening test for ovarian cancer? No UK national screening — CA125 plus ultrasound in general population not proven to save lives in trials. High-risk women (BRCA carriers) may have risk-reducing surgery (salpingo-oophorectomy) after completing family — specialist genetics clinic. What is CA125? Blood protein often elevated in epithelial ovarian cancer — GP may check with ultrasound if symptoms suggest. Elevated CA125 has many benign causes — endometriosis, fibroids, liver disease, menstruation. Normal CA125 does not exclude cancer — especially early stage. How is ovarian cancer treated? Surgery — total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, lymph node assessment — often followed by platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel). Some receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery. Targeted drugs — PARP inhibitors (olaparib) for BRCA-mutated or HRD-positive disease maintenance. Can ovarian cysts be cancer? Most ovarian cysts in premenopausal women are benign (functional cysts). Postmenopausal simple ovarian cysts need ultrasound surveillance — complex cysts with solid components, ascites, or rising CA125 need urgent gynae-oncology referral. ## Sources - [NHS — Ovarian cancer](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/) - [NICE — Ovarian cancer](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng241) - [Target Ovarian Cancer](https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/)