Ovarian cancer grows slowly in the abdominal cavity without obvious symptoms for prolonged periods. When it finally manifests, it typically does so with complaints as generic as bloating, rapid feeling of fullness or abdominal discomfort that can easily be attributed to other problems, according to specialist consultation.
Gemma Mancebo, head of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Hospital del Mar, describes the tumour as "my great frustration" because "it grows in the abdomen, which is a very large cavity" and "can grow for an indefinite time without showing obvious symptoms". Antonio González, director of the Department of Medical Oncology at Clínica Universidad de Navarra, agrees that "because they are vague and imprecise complaints, it can delay diagnosis".
According to a survey cited by oncologist Elizabeth Comen, 95% of ovarian cancer patients reported noticeable symptoms between three and 12 months before diagnosis. However, when they consulted their doctor, their symptoms were attributed to other conditions: 15% received a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, 12% to stress, 9% to gastritis, 6% to constipation and 6% to depression. 30% received treatment for a different condition and 13% were told they had no problem at all.
Mancebo points out that "the main battle is early detection", but currently there are no screening programmes or reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis. A British study with 200,000 women that used transvaginal ultrasound and blood tumour marker detection produced no positive results in terms of mortality reduction, although it did detect tumours in earlier stages.
The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology estimates that in 2026 more than 3,700 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in Spain, with a median five-year survival of 40%. González highlights four therapeutic tools: surgery, molecular diagnosis, chemotherapy and maintenance therapy with targeted drugs. Mancebo emphasised that "we have treatment" and progress is being made in "making it chronic", but "the problem is reaching those treatments as soon as possible".