(CBS) think detecting ovarian cancer symptoms is easy? think again. Even doctors have a hard time making the call. in part, that's because many of the symptoms, like weight gain and abdomen pain, could be a host of things, or nothing at all.

It's no small problem. Each year around 20,000 American women get ovarian cancer in the United States and yet many are not fully aware of the warning signs.

The symptoms, according to Medline are:

- Heavy feeling in pelvis- Pain in lower abdomen- Bleeding from the vagina (especially after menopause)- Weight gain or loss- Abnormal periods- Unexplained back pain that gets worse- Gas, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

Sounds like a lot of things right? and sometimes there are no symptoms at all, which makes things tough on doctors. more than 25 percent of women with apparent  signs of early stage ovarian cancer are not receiving biopsies to test for it, according to new research from the University of California Davis Cancer Center.That's a big deal, because the longer you wait, the more deadly the disease becomes.

To make matters worse, there is no simple screening test for the disease. your doctor can perform several tests to help narrow it down including a rectovaginal pelvic exam, a transvaginal ultrasound, and a CA-125 blood test.

The disease overwhelming strikes older women – 90 percent are over 40 and most of those are over 60, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

There are several things that can lower your chance of getting the disease and some risk factors too. Here's the short list, according to the CDC.

LOWER YOUR RISK

- having used birth control pills for more than five years.- having had a tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied), both ovaries removed, or hysterectomy (an operation in which the uterus, and sometimes the cervix, is removed).- having given birth.

RISK FACTORS

- being middle-aged or older.- having close family members(such as your mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother) on either your mother's or your father's side who have had ovarian cancer.- having had breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer.- having an Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish background.- having never given birth or having had trouble getting pregnant.- having endometriosis (a condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body).

For more information check out Medline, the Mayo Clinic and the CDC.

Every year around 20,000 women get ovarian cancer in the United States and yet many are not fully aware of the symptoms.

The symptoms, according to Medline are:

1. Heavy feeling in pelvis
2. Pain in lower abdomen
3. Bleeding from the vagina (especially after menopause)
4. Weight gain or loss
5. Abnormal periods
6. Unexplained back pain that gets worse
7. Gas, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

Please get yourselves checked if you have the above symptoms. Also keep in mind that sometimes there are no symptoms at all and that doctors can miss it as well. please protect yourselves and read more about how you can prevent this disease at Medline Plus.

my sister past away on the 17 of july suddenly and i think this may have been a contribitor to her death i would like to know more about this disease

The reason this disease is so deadly is that it is often too late by the time it is diagnosed. Early symptoms may include a deep, boring pain in the upper right quadrant of the back, often confused with gall bladder disease. also, the sudden onset of diabetes-like symptoms without other indications such as excess weight, poor diet, age or genetic indicators. if you are worried about it, get tested.

I am sorry to hear about your sister. Pancreatic cancer symptoms are often so vague that the cancer is not found until it has metastasized (spread) and most people usually live only 3-6 months after diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer is also resistant to most types of cancer treatment. the pancreas is so important because without it you would be unable to digest and absorb nutrients from your food.

Medline Plus is an excellent research source. it gives brief information and lists many good links. try nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pancr…

The National Cancer Institute has information at cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/tre…

My dad went to the hospital on July 5th, was finally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on July 20th, and died on July 29th, only one week ago. In hindsight he lost some weight because of a loss of appetite. He got very weak and lost alot of weight the last three weeks in all parts of his body except his stomach, which kept growing. when he did eat or drink nothing tasted good. He became very jaundice with yellow eyes and was very weak. Frequent urination was also present probably because the tumor pushing on his bladder. He was alert until Saturday morning and feel asleep that afternoon and died 12 hours later. very painful. He said it was the worst pain he ever felt. Really no signs up until late June and a month later he died. Hope this helps, sorry for your loss.