A doctor may suspect ovarian cancer based on symptoms, a blood test & an image of a suspicious mass.
But is surgery always necessary for a formal diagnosis of this ruthless disease?
Researchers have for years been fervently working on a way to diagnose ovarian cancer without surgery — which would be invasive.
But as of 2018, this revolutionary discovery has not happened. And it’s also not even close to happening.
How Ovarian Cancer Is Diagnosed
“The definitive diagnosis is with a tissue diagnosis obtained by removing the ovary during surgery,” says Mylaine Riobe, MD, founder of Riobe Institute of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Riobe, board certified in OB/GYN and integrative medicine, is the author of “The Answer to Cancer.”
“It’s not advised to biopsy the ovary, as the cancer cells can spread, worsening the prognosis,” says Dr. Riobe.
“Because removing the ovaries is very invasive, doctors must balance the risk of an unnecessary surgical procedure and possible complications vs. missing a diagnosis by avoiding surgery.”
Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
- Persistent feelings of bloating
- Unexplained loss of appetite; feeling full on small amounts of food
- Pelvic, abdominal or leg pain
- Distended abdomen that cannot be explained by overeating
Detecting Ovarian Cancer Years in Advance without Surgery
A breakthrough like this is not anywhere near being on the horizon.
A test that could detect ovarian cancer without any surgery would most likely be a blood test.
Now when you add to that the component of detection of the disease years in advance, this makes such a discovery even more of a distant-future breakthrough.
And chances are pretty high that a blood test that can show the presence of ovarian cancer with 100 percent accuracy (or even 95 percent accuracy) would also be capable of detecting other malignancies such as that of the breast, uterus, colon, pancreas, liver and thyroid.
Dr. Riobe has helped thousands of patients overcome difficult illnesses by addressing root causes, not just masking symptoms. She has over 15 years’ experience using integrative techniques to treat diverse patients.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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