Screening for ovarian cancer

Screening is testing to detect cancer at an early stage, before symptoms occur, so that it can be treated more effectively. Currently it is not known whether screening can help to detect ovarian cancers, so there is no national screening programme for ovarian cancer in the UK.

A large research trial is currently being carried out to see whether ovarian cancer can be detected early through regular blood tests and ultrasound scans. This trial, known as the UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study (UK FOCSS), is for women who may have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer| because of their family history. If you think this would be of interest, you can ask your GP to refer you to take part. Enrollment ends on 31 December 2009.

Another recent research study is looking at the benefits of screening postmenopausal women with either a blood test for a protein called CA125 or a vaginal ultrasound (see diagnosis and tests|). The aim of the trial is to see if either of these tests will help doctors diagnose women with ovarian cancer when their cancer is at an early stage. The trial has recently closed and it will be a few years before we know the results.

Risks of screening

One of the problems with ovarian cancer screening is that it can produce ‘false positives’, which means the test results wrongly suggest that a healthy woman has cancer. The follow-up tests needed, which may include surgery, could expose women without cancer to unnecessary risks and anxiety

If you are considering participating in a screening trial, you can find out more about clinical trials|, including the pros and cons of taking part.