How Does My Doctor Know I Have Ovarian Cancer?
Most ovarian cancers do not cause symptoms. If you have any or if your doctor found a mass during a routine pelvic exam, he or she is likely to ask questions about these things.
In addition to asking you questions, your doctor may also perform a physical exam. You may have a pelvic exam and other tests.
Pelvic Exam
This exam allows your doctor to feel for lumps and other problems. During a pelvic exam, you lie on your back on an examining table, with your feet in stirrups. Your doctor inserts 1 or 2 fingers of a gloved hand inside your vagina and uses the other hand to press on your lower abdomen to feel for lumps. Your doctor may also insert a finger in your rectum to feel for anything unusual.
Ultrasound
This test allows your doctor to see if a cyst or tumor is present. The doctor aims sound waves at your ovaries either by inserting a small probe into your vagina or aiming them at the surface of your abdomen. The pattern of the echoes makes a picture, called a sonogram, on a video screen. The echoes are different for healthy tissues, fluid-filled cysts, and tumors. Fluid-filled lumps are usually not cancerous. You don’t need sedation for this test.
CA-125 Blood Test
This blood test shows how much of a protein called CA-125 is in your blood. An elevated CA-125 indicates the presence of tumor cells. After a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, your doctor may use this blood test to see whether you are responding to treatment, or if the cancer has come back. This test is usually combined with ultrasound.
Biopsy
Unlike many types of cancer, a biopsy is rarely used to diagnose ovarian cancer before surgery. A diagnosis of ovarian cancer is usually confirmed at the time of surgery. At that time, the surgeon removes the tumor or tumors. In a lab, a pathologist examines the removed cells to confirm that cancer is present.