Ovarian Cancer Screening Research

Losing a loved one to cancer is a heartbreaking experience. After reading about Pierce Brosnan’s second loss of his daughter Charlotte to ovarian cancer I received several emails asking for more information. Here is one of the latest articles about screening for Ovarian cancer. Women who are at risk for Ovarian cancer should know about a Phase-1 study performed in Britain(1). The investigators provided annual vaginal sonograms and CA 125 blood tests to screen greater than 3500 women who were deemed to be at 10% or greater lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. The average age was 44.6 years and all women were advised that risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy was recommended. The British study suggests that screening can lead to an earlier diagnosis with an acceptable rate of false positive screens The second phase of the trial will increase the screening interval