The diagnosis may be difficult. However, the following symptoms and signs may be present:

1. Feeling of discomfort, bloated feeling in the abdomen
2. Change in bowel habits
3. Flatulence & indigestion
4. Symptoms related to the kidney or bladder
5. Abnormal vaginal bleeding
6. Pain in the abdomen
7. Enlarged abdomen from the tumour, and
8. Loss of weight or appetite
9. Backache or pain in the legs
10. Urinary complaints

During physical examination, a doctor may be able to detect a lump or fluid in the abdomen. Additional diagnostic methods include blood tests, routine chest & abdominal x-rays, ultrasound of the lower abdomen, and barium enema. The gold standard, however, is a laparotomy.

Diagnosis is based on the physical examination of the pelvis and tests such as

1. Pelvis examination by the doctor. An ovarian cancer is suspected if
• The ovary is enlarged
• There is an abdominal lump
• There is excessive fluid in the abdomen
2. Ultrasound scan of the pelvis. The scan is either performed on the abdomen or via the vagina.
3. CA-125 is a tumor marker that is often raised in the blood of women with ovarian cancer. However, high CA-125 levels may be due to other causes.
4. CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis are a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body generated by X-rays. This can is useful in diagnosing ovarian cancer and studying the extent of the spread of cancer.
5. Biopsy is the removal of tissue for microscopic examination in order to make a diagnosis of the cancer. To obtain the tissue, a laparatomy (abdomen operation) is performed. If cancer is suspected, the entire ovary is removed (oophorectomy).