Study on screening women at high risk for ovarian cancer
March 3, 2017
A long-term research study out of the UK called the United Kingdom Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study (UKFOCSS) recently published results in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
UKFOCSS examined whether a screening program would be of benefit to women known to be at high risk for developing ovarian cancer. The study involved over 4,000 women, who either had a family history of ovarian or breast cancer or genetic mutations associated with ovarian cancer.
Every four months, doctors tracked their levels of CA-125, a blood protein that can increase when ovarian cancer is present. Over time, these levels were inputted in a mathematical calculation called ROCA (Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm) that is designed to look at changes in CA-125 levels and gauge associated risk.
Whenever the ROCA indicated cause for concern, women were sent for further testing and surgery, if necessary.
Over the course of three years of screening and a year after the last test, 19 cancers were detected. Ten of which were at an early stage. Five years later, 18 more cases were detected, but only one of them was early stage.
While these recent findings confirm that screening women at high risk for developing ovarian cancer results in earlier detection, more time is needed to determine whether this screening will save lives.
Elisabeth Baugh
“We look forward to learning more about the true impact of screening women who are at high risk for this disease,” says Elisabeth Baugh, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada. “To date, science hasn’t shown that early detection helps in saving lives. While we certainly hope for an approach to screening for ovarian cancer, it needs to be guided by best evidence.”
In the meantime, women at high risk for ovarian cancer are encouraged to speak with their doctors about preventive action, including removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
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