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Ovarian cancer at its early stages(I/II) is difficult to diagnose until it spreads and advances to later stages(III/IV). This is due to the fact that most of the common symptoms are non-specific.
The blood test called CA-125 is useful in differential diagnosis and in follow up of the disease, but it has not been shown to be an effective method to screen for early-stage ovarian cancer and is currently not recommended for this use.
Other blood tests are currently under investigation. For example, a study funded by the American Cancer Society conducted at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute has found a correlation between high levels of lysophospholipids (a type of fatty acid) with ovarian cancer patients and low levels of lysophospholipids with healthy women. This potential biomarker can be detected by a simple blood test. The blood test was 93% accurate as predictor of ovarian cancer with less than 4% false positives of the 117 women studied. As with CA-125, this blood test has not been incorporated into standard practice for diagnosing ovarian cancer.
Current research is looking at ways to combine tumor markers along with other indicators of disease (i.e. radiology and/or symptoms) to improve accuracy. The challenge in such an approach is that the very low population prevelance of ovarian cancer means that even testing with very high sensitivity and specificity will still lead to unacceptable numbers of false positive results (i.e. performing surgical procedures in which cancer is not found intra-operatively). This is exemplified by the recent discovery of proteomic predictors that showed 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity.
A pelvic examination, including CT scan, trans-vaginal ultrasound, is also of utility. Physical examination may reveal increased abdominal girth and /or ascites (fluid within the abdominal cavity). Pelvic examination may reveal an ovarian or abdominal mass. The pelvic exam can include a rectovaginal component for better palpation of the ovaries.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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