BALTIMORE -- Three symptoms could warn women of ovarian cancer, according to a new study.

No test currently exists to detect ovarian cancer, which is one of the most difficult of all cancers to diagnose. Doctors say the symptoms are so vague that they can mimic other problems, reported WBAL-TV in Baltimore.

Doctors diagnosed Ingrid Foland with ovarian cancer a little more than three years ago. But she suspects she had it years before that.

"I had the symptoms, various symptoms at various times, and you couldn't put it all together -- frequent urination, bloating, weight gain, I lost my waist," she said. "I thought, 'Wow, getting older is just no fun!'"

Dr. Dwight Im, of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said 95 percent of patients do have symptoms, but they're often vague to doctors.

"People have finally done a study on 1,700 people and came up with three symptoms. These three symptoms appeared in 43 percent off all patients," Im said.

That cluster of symptoms includes a swollen abdomen, a bloated feeling and urgent frequent urination, according to the study, which was published in June 2004 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"That may be an early sign of a mass in the pelvis putting pressure on the bladder," Im said.

Foland had those symptoms, and now offers the following advice for other women.

"If you find something is not right, pursue it -- no matter what the physician says, you have to pursue it," she said.

If you have those symptoms, it doesn't mean you have ovarian cancer, but you should discuss it with your doctor to have it investigated -- in most cases, with an ultrasound.

Additional Resources:

• Study Abstract: Journal of the American Medical Association
• American Cancer Society: What Is Ovarian Cancer?
• MedlinePlus.gov: Ovarian Cancer Resources