Ultrasound fails to spot ovarian cancer

Annual screening with a technique called transvaginal ultrasound, coupled with a blood test for CA125, a protein that can be elevated in the setting of ovarian cancer, does not reliably detect ovarian cancer early, at a more curable stage, according to a new study.

"We and other groups confirm that the current method of ovarian screening, which is a combination of ultrasound scans and (blood) markers, is ineffective," Dr Emma R Woodward from Birmingham Women's Hospital, UK, told Reuters Health.

"Therefore, for women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, the only real option at present to prevent ovarian cancer death is to have the ovaries removed as a preventive measure."

source