Hope for early detection of ovarian cancer

 Preliminary results show that the first screening of the 100,000 women participating in the the trial, detected ovarian cancer or borderline tumours in 87 women and missed picking up 13 women who went on to develop the disease within a year of screening. Almost half (48%) of the 58 cancers detected were at an early stage. Lead investigator, Professor Ian Jacobs, director of the University College London Institute for Women’s Health, commented: ‘‘There is a long way to go before we have firm evidence as to whether or not screening is able to detect cancer early enough to save lives. It will also be essential to balance any benefits offered by screening with the downside, as it is recognised that screening can cause anxiety and lead to some unnecessary operations. “The UKCTOCS trial will conclude in just over 5 years and if the findings are positive my hope is that what we learn will pave the way for a national ovarian cancer screening programme.” Two screening methods are being used – a blood test or an ultrasound scan. The blood test measures levels of a protein called CA125 that is often elevated in the blood of women who have ovarian cancer. The research team used statistics to determine risk of ovarian cancer based on the woman’s age, how much CA125 was present and how the level changed with time. The ultrasound scan is used to look for abnormalities in the ovaries.