Ovarian cancer can be challenging to diagnose and be misdiagnosed. Being aware of symptoms, your individual risk level, and available diagnostic tests can help you advocate for yourself.

Ovarian cancer affects one or both ovaries. Ovaries are the parts of the female reproductive system that produce eggs. An estimated 19,680 new ovarian cancer diagnoses will be made in the United States in 2024.

This type of cancer can be difficult to diagnose. One reason is that symptoms of ovarian cancer, such as abdominal pain and bloating, can resemble other, more common health problems.

In some situations, ovarian cancer can be misdiagnosed. Below, we explore three ovarian cancer misdiagnosis stories and what can be learned from them.

Our first misdiagnosis story is a recent case study published in 2024. A case study is a detailed record of a person’s medical history, diagnosis, and treatment.

A 67-year-old female sought medical care for pain in her lower left abdomen and bloating that had been happening for 2 weeks. She had a previous history of diverticulitis, a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the digestive tract.

She described her pain as milder than previous diverticulitis attacks but noted that it also occurred with “shock” sensations and didn’t respond to dietary changes.

The initial diagnosis was another diverticulitis attack, but after 3 days of treatment, there was no improvement. Additional follow-up tests revealed a pelvic tumor that was eventually diagnosed as ovarian cancer.

In this case study, the ovarian cancer symptoms closely resembled those of a known health condition, diverticulitis. Because of this, the ovarian cancer was initially misdiagnosed.

An important lesson here is to listen to your body. The person in this case study noted that her symptoms felt different from what she typically experienced with her diverticulitis.

If you feel like something is off or not normal for you, be sure to raise your concerns with a doctor.

Our second misdiagnosis story comes courtesy of Laura, who tells her story to Ovarian Cancer Action, a U.K. charity aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Earlier, Laura had found out that she had a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as her great aunt had tested positive for a BRCA1 mutation after a breast cancer diagnosis. Genetic testing revealed that Laura also had this mutation.

At 27 years old, Laura developed severe stomach cramping, bloating, and feeling full shortly after eating. Constipation, pelvic pain, and worsening of the bloating followed.

Despite her increased risk of ovarian cancer, doctors originally misdiagnosed Laura with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She eventually received an ovarian cancer diagnosis after emergency room doctors noticed features on a CT scan that suggested cancer.

The lesson here is to know your cancer risk. Talk with family members to see if they have a personal history of cancer or mutations associated with cancer.

If you know you have an increased risk of a certain type of cancer, don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself and voice your concerns if you have troubling symptoms. Also don’t be afraid to seek a second option from another doctor.

The lesson from our final story points out that misdiagnosis can go both ways. This story comes from another 2024 case study.

In this case study, a 62-year-old female sought treatment for symptoms including shortness of breath, vaginal discharge, and ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal wall). Initial tests showed no signs of infection and slightly elevated levels of CA-125, a marker of ovarian cancer.

Doctors suspected ovarian cancer. However, laparoscopy, a procedure used by a surgeon to examine abdominal organs, revealed an abscess and signs of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The person recovered after antibiotic treatment.

This illustrates that some tests may suggest the presence of cancer when something else is actually causing the symptoms. This can result in unnecessary procedures and treatments.

As such, it’s always important to be aware of the limitations of various diagnostic tests, such as their rates of false-positive or false-negative results.

Early ovarian cancers often don’t have any noticeable symptoms. That’s one reason only about 20% of these cancers are diagnosed in their early stages.

Some of the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

Other potential symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

Many symptoms of ovarian cancer can also be symptoms of other, more common, noncancerous health conditions. These include but are not limited to:

The key here is to ask yourself whether your symptoms are persistent and whether they go beyond what is typical for you. If the answer to either question is yes, make an appointment with a doctor to discuss them.

When you see a doctor, there are several things they will discuss with you. During this time, it’s important to ask questions to make sure your thoughts and concerns are heard.

Consider bringing a list of questions and concerns to your appointment to guide your discussion.

Symptoms

One place you’ll likely start is with symptoms. Be sure to describe them in as much detail as you can to your doctor and how long they’ve been happening.

Also, ask what other health issues may lead to your specific symptoms. Another important question would be how these conditions can be diagnosed or ruled out.

Risk factors

You can also ask your doctor about your individual risk of ovarian cancer. A few examples of risk factors for this type of cancer include:

If you have any risk factors for ovarian cancer, let your doctor know. They can take these into consideration when deciding on how to move forward with testing.

Testing

Speaking of testing, ask what type of diagnostic tests are available for ovarian cancer. While an ovarian cancer diagnosis does require analysis of a biopsy, many other tests are noninvasive. Your doctor may recommend them if you’re at a higher risk.

For example, blood tests can check for gene mutations associated with ovarian cancer or for levels of CA-125, a substance made by some ovarian cancers. Imaging tests can also locate masses around your ovaries.

It’s also important to ask your doctor about the accuracy of these tests and the risks associated with a false-positive or false-negative result.

As an example, interpretation of imaging results may be difficult, with noncancerous masses mimicking ovarian cancer or vice versa. Further, CA-125 can be elevated in some benign conditions, too, or may be absent in some ovarian cancers.

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose. One reason is that its symptoms can resemble those of other more common conditions. Due to this, ovarian cancer can also be misdiagnosed.

It’s important to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and your individual risk. It can also be helpful to know about the types of tests used to diagnose and rule out this type of cancer.

Listen to your body. If you have symptoms that are persistent and not normal for you, make an appointment with a doctor. This is especially important if you’re at a higher risk of ovarian cancer. If it is cancer, early diagnosis and treatment can improve your outlook.