Symptoms and diagnostic delay in ovarian cancer: a summary of the literature

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death due to gynaecological cancers in developed countries. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are common female complaints, are non-specific and do not fit any easily recognisable pattern. This frequently leads to a delay in diagnosis. Until an effective screening test becomes available for this disease, increasing the education of women and clinicians regarding the symptoms of ovarian cancer must be seen as a priority. Nurses are ideally placed to disseminate information about the symptoms of ovarian cancer to the community and have a responsibility to do so. It is crucial that nurses are aware of the common symptoms and the usual diagnostic pathway in order to provide empathetic, informed nursing care. This paper draws on the results of a narrative systematic review to describe current knowledge of symptoms of ovarian cancer and describes delays women commonly experience in obtaining a diagnosis.