About Screening

Availability

Ovarian cancer risk assessment and screening is provided by the Ovarian Cancer Screening Centre to women who fully understand their level of risk and have been briefed about the current status of screening tests.

There is only limited availability of ovarian cancer screening on the NHS.

Effectiveness

It is not yet known precisely how effective ovarian cancer screening is at saving lives. Large studies designed to answer this question are ongoing. There is good evidence that in the majority of women, screening tests can pick up ovarian cancer before symptoms develop. However, a minority of women with cancer are missed by screening. There is some evidence that detection by screening can increase the length of time someone with ovarian cancer lives, but it is not yet clear whether the tests detect cancer early enough to save lives.

Unwanted effects of screening

The tests can sometimes be abnormal in women who do not have ovarian cancer and this can cause anxiety if tests need to be repeated. Occasionally, if tests are persistently abnormal, an operation by minimally invasive (keyhole) surgery is required to establish whether the abnormalities found by screening are due to cancer or benign disease.

Standards

The Ovarian Cancer Screening Centre is able to offer state of the art screening using ultrasound scans and CA125 blood tests interpreted by leading experts.

Method

Scans are usually performed via the vagina using a thin sensor. This method produces the best images of the ovaries and together with the CA125 blood test the most accurate screening results. It is usually less uncomfortable than having a cervical smear test taken. If your consultation indicates that you may benefit from other cancer screening tests, such as a smear, they can be performed at the same time.