Is Screening for Ovarian Cancer Feasible?

Ovarian cancer, albeit relatively uncommon, is more often fatal than other gynecologic malignancies. Early detection is associated with better survival, and screening with ultrasound and serum CA 125 testing might be beneficial. In two large multicenter studies, researchers evaluated these screening modalities.

In the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), postmenopausal women (96% white; mean age at screening, 61) were randomized to no screening (101,359), annual CA 125 screening in conjunction with a risk-for-cancer algorithm and vaginal ultrasound as a second-line test (multimodal screening [MMS]; 50,078), or annual vaginal ultrasound alone (USS; 48,230). Women in the MMS group were triaged into subgroup…