Ovarian Cysts and Ovarian Cancer (Cancer of The Ovaries) Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer- Know the Warning Signs

What's the difference in an Ovarian cyst and Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cancer and Cysts are different. Cysts can be found in Ovarian Cancer, but they usually harmless unless they get big enough to cause a problem.

Ovarian cyst(s) are sacs filled with fluid that forms within or on the ovary. There are quite a few different types of ovarian cysts, but I will go over a few of them with you. These are functional types of cysts.

1. Functional
2. Follicular
3. Corpus Luteum

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac (follicle) that contains a maturing egg; it forms on the ovary's surface, then disappears not long after it releases the egg. If a mature egg is not released or if the sac reseals after the egg is released, the sac can swell up with fluid, forming a functional ovarian cyst. The most people susceptible to getting ovarian cysts are women:

• Are between the ages of 20 and 35.
• Smoke. Smokers are twice as likely to have ovarian cysts as nonsmokers.¹
• Are being treated for infertility with medications such as clomiphene citrate (for example, Clomid or Serophene).
• Have endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or bulimia.

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What is a Functional Cyst

Let's go over each one and it's meaning. The functional cyst is usually one that forms during a menstrual cycle. Functional cysts are different than tumors as they normally disappear and don't normally cause any problems unless they get too large in which they can twist, bleed and rupture. It's very painful if this happens. The functional cyst is a sac that forms during ovulation and holds a maturing egg. Normally, when an egg is released, then the cyst goes away. However; if the egg doesn't release, then the sac can fill up with fluid and swell. The Luteum cysts is the one that may rupture. Most of these cysts are harmless unless it gets too large as you just read up above.

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What causes functional cysts?

Functional cysts form because of the way a women releases the egg in the ovary. The one cyst is called a follicular; when the egg Does NOT release, and the other is the luteal cyst; when the egg DOES release, but closes up and fills up with fluid again.

What's the treatment of functional cysts?

Most functional cysts go away on their own. If a large cyst starts to give you problems such as pain or bleeding, it can be removed with surgery.

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• Bloating

• Nausea or gas and constipation problems

• Vaginal bleeding when you are not having your period

• Pain or aching in the middle of your abdomen

• Delay in your menstrual cycle

• Severe pain with vomiting and/or nausea

• Pain during or after sexual intercourse

If you do get severe pain with vomiting and nausea, the information I get this from says for you to go the Dr. right away as it may be a ruptured cyst. Ovarian cancer remember is different than Ovarian Cysts. Please review the symptoms and warning signs of Ovarian Cancer below. It may save your life.

What's the treatment of Ovarian Cancer?

The treatment of ovarian cancer depends on the staging of the cancer. It depends on how far it has spread. I will give you this link HERE and you can find out about staging of the cancer and how they figure the stage of the cancer. There are 4 stages, but several sub-categories of each stage, just as in Cervical Cancer. The most desired treatment is of course, surgery to remove the cancer, the ovary or possibly more. Then they may consider chemo and/or radiation, depending again, on how far the cancer has spread.

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