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A cancer screening programme is not yet available for ovarian cancer. Despite significant advances in treatment, only about 45% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive for five years or more, largely because it is usually diagnosed at a late stage

A team led by Professors Usha Menon (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Institute for Clinical Trials and Methodology) and Ian Jacobs (previously at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº EGA Institute for Women’s Health) has been working on whether screening picks up the disease earlier and save lives, with a major trial with over 202,000 women and 11 years of annual screening. Women who had no screening were compared with those screened with either a vaginal ultrasound or a blood test. 

The researchers found that the blood test picked up the cancer earlier and the screening method appears to be cost-effective. 

Extended follow-up is now underway to establish whether this results in lives being saved. If successful, then the blood-based screening programme may be able to reduce ovarian cancer deaths by a fifth. 

The final results of the 20-year study should be available in 2021 to help the NHS make a decision as to whether to introduce ovarian cancer screening. 

Usha said,

“If we are able to show that a simple blood test could save lives, then it would be possible for the NHS to introduce a screening programme for ovarian cancer, similar to breast and cervical screening.

Links

• Professor Usha Menon’s academic profile
• ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº EGA Institute for Women's Health
• ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Institute for Clinical Trials and Methodology

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Image credit: Illustration by Studio Imeus