| Abstract: |
Ovarian cancer has poor prognosis because the majority of women present with advanced disease, but early-stage ovarian cancers have a potential for cure. Screening performed with serum CA 125 and/or ultrasound may detect ovarian cancers in asymptomatic women; however, ovarian cancer is relatively uncommon and low disease prevalence limits effectiveness of any screening approach. Screening for ovarian cancer is not recommended for the general population, but screening may be useful in the subset of women at high risk resulting from genetic factors. Screening of postmenopausal women remains investigational, with several large studies in progress. Ultrasound findings of ovarian enlargement, and solid components or mural nodularity within a cyst are suspicious for malignancy. Results of clinical trials indicate that ultrasound may detect early stage I ovarian cancers. Current ovarian cancer screening studies usually use a combination of CA 125 and ultrasound. The ratio of early to advanced cancers, and the number of surgical interventions required for each cancer detected vary according to whether CA 125 or ultrasound is used for primary or secondary screening. Copyright © 2004 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. |
