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Table of Contents What is screening?
General Information About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Screening
Risks of Ovarian Cancer Screening
Get More Information From NCI
Changes to This Summary (01/10/2008)
Questions or Comments About This Summary
About PDQ
What is screening?
Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find
cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may
be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun
to spread.
Scientists are trying to better understand which
people are more likely to get certain types of cancer. They also study the things
we do and the things around us to see if they cause cancer. This
information helps doctors recommend who should be screened for cancer, which
screening tests should be used, and how often the tests should be done.
It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily
think you have cancer if he or she suggests a screening test. Screening
tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms.
If a screening test result is abnormal, you may need to have more tests done to find out if you have cancer. These are called diagnostic tests.
Refer to the following PDQ summaries for information about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of ovarian cancer:
Back to Top General Information About Ovarian Cancer
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Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells
form in the tissues of the ovaries.
The ovaries are a pair
of organs in the female reproductive
system. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped
organ where a fetus grows). Each
ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs and
female hormones (chemicals that
control the way certain cells or
organs function).
In the United States, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women.
Ovarian cancer is also the leading cause of death from cancer of the female reproductive system. From 1987 through 2002 the number of ovarian cancer cases went down slightly and the number of deaths from ovarian cancer remained about the same.
Current screening
tests have not been proven to decrease the death rate.
Age and a family history of ovarian cancer can affect the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease
is called a risk factor. Risk factors for ovarian cancer include the
following:
Certain factors may decrease a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women who have taken oral contraceptives ("the pill"), given birth,
breast-fed, or had a tubal ligation or hysterectomy have a lower
than average risk of developing ovarian cancer. Prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of healthy ovaries) decreases ovarian cancer risk in women who have an altered gene related to breast cancer.
Back to Top Ovarian Cancer Screening
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Tests are used to screen for different types of cancer.
Some screening tests are used because they have been shown to be helpful both in finding cancers early and in decreasing the chance of dying from these cancers. Other tests are used because they have been shown to find cancer in some people; however, it has not been proven in clinical trials that use of these tests will decrease the risk of dying from cancer.
Scientists study screening tests to find those with the fewest risks and most benefits. Cancer screening trials also are meant to show whether early detection (finding cancer before it causes symptoms) decreases a person's chance of dying from the disease. For some types of cancer, finding and treating the disease at an early stage may result in a better chance of recovery.
There is no standard or routine screening test for ovarian cancer.
Screening for ovarian cancer is under study and there are screening clinical trials taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Tests that may detect (find) ovarian cancer are being studied:
Pelvic exam
A pelvic exam is an exam of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and rectum. The doctor or nurse inserts one or two lubricated, gloved fingers of one hand into the vagina and the other hand is placed over the lower abdomen to feel the size, shape, and position of the uterus and ovaries. A speculum is also inserted into the vagina and the doctor or nurse looks at the vagina and cervix for signs of disease.
Ovarian cancer is usually advanced when detected by a pelvic exam.
Transvaginal ultrasound
Transvaginal ultrasound is a procedure used to examine the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and bladder. An ultrasound transducer (probe) is inserted into the vagina and used to bounce high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
CA-125 assay
A CA 125 assay is a test that measures the level of CA 125 in the blood. CA 125 is a substance released by cells into the bloodstream. An increased CA-125 level is sometimes a sign of certain types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, or other conditions.
Scientists at the National Cancer Institute are studying the
combination of ultrasound and CA-125 levels as a
way to get more accurate results from the screening tests.
Back to Top Risks of Ovarian Cancer Screening
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Screening tests have risks.
Decisions about screening tests can be difficult. Not all screening tests are helpful and most have risks. Before having any screening test, you may
want to discuss the test with your doctor. It is important to know the risks of
the test and whether it has been proven to reduce the risk of dying from cancer.
The risks of ovarian screening tests include the following:
Finding ovarian cancer may not improve health or help a woman live
longer.
Screening
may not improve your health or help you live longer if you have advanced ovarian cancer or if it has already spread to
other places in your body.
Some cancers never cause symptoms or become life-threatening, but if found by a screening
test, the cancer may be treated. It is not known if treatment of these cancers would help you live longer than if no treatment were given, and treatments for cancer may have serious side effects.
False-negative test results can occur.
Screening test results may appear to be normal even though ovarian cancer is
present. A woman who receives a false-negative test result (one that
shows there is no cancer when there really is) may delay seeking medical care even if she has symptoms.
False-positive test results can occur.
Screening test results may appear to be abnormal even though no
cancer is present. A false-positive test result (one that shows there is cancer when there really isn't) can cause anxiety and is usually followed by more tests (such as
a laparoscopy or a laparotomy to see if cancer is present), which also have risks. An unnecessary oophorectomy (removal of one or both ovaries) may also result.
Your doctor can advise you about your risk for ovarian cancer and your need for screening tests.
Back to Top Get More Information From NCI
Call 1-800-4-CANCER
For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions.
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For more information from the NCI, please write to this address:
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Search the NCI Web site
The NCI Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. For a quick search, use our “Best Bets” search box in the upper right hand corner of each Web page. The results that are most closely related to your search term will be listed as Best Bets at the top of the list of search results.
There are also many other places to get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Hospitals in your area may have information about local and regional agencies that have information on finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems related to cancer treatment.
Find Publications
The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Back to Top Changes to This Summary (01/10/2008)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made to this summary.
Back to Top Questions or Comments About This Summary
If you have questions or comments about this summary, please send them to Cancer.gov through the Web site’s Contact Form. We can respond only to email messages written in English.
Back to Top About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on NCI's Web site.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer experts and reviewed regularly.
Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether a method of finding cancer earlier can help people to live longer. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients and those who are at risk for cancer. During screening clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new screening method and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new method is better than one currently being used, the new method may become "standard." People who are at high risk for a certain type of cancer may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
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