Screening for Familial Ovarian Cancer: Failure of Current Protocols to Detect Ovarian Cancer at an Early Stage According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics System

D Stirling, D.G.R Evans, G Pichert, A Shenton, E.N Kirk, S Rimmer, Christopher Michael Steel, S Lawson, R.M.C Busby-Earle, J Walker, FI Lalloo, D.M Eccles, A.M Lucassen, M.E Porteous

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose To assess the effectiveness of annual ovarian cancer screening (transvaginal ultrasound and serum CA-125 estimation) in detecting presymptomatic ovarian cancer in women at increased genetic risk.

Patients and Methods A cohort of 1, 110 women at increased risk of ovarian cancer were screened between January 1991 and March 2004; 553 were moderate-risk individuals (4% to 10% lifetime risk) and 557 were high-risk individuals > 10% lifetime risk). Outcome measurements include the number and stage of screen-detected cancers, the number and stage of cancers not detected at screening, the number of equivocal screening results requiring recall/repetition, and the number of women undergoing surgery for benign disease.

Results Thirteen epithelial ovarian malignancies (12 invasive and one borderline), developed in the cohort. Ten tumors were detected at screening: three International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I (including borderline), two stage 11, four stage 111, and one stage IV. Of the three cancers not detected by screening, two were stage III and one was stage IV; 29 women underwent diagnostic surgery but were found not to have ovarian cancer.

Conclusion Annual surveillance by transvaginal ultrasound scanning and serum CA-125 measurement in women at increased familial risk of ovarian cancer is ineffective in detecting tumors at a sufficiently early stage to influence prognosis. With a positive predictive value of 17% and a sensitivity of less than 50%, the performance of ultrasound does not satisfy the WHO screening standards. In addition, the combined protocol has a particularly high false-positive rate in premenopausal women, leading to unnecessary surgical intervention.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5588-5596
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology
Volume23
Issue number24
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Aug 2005

Keywords

  • BREAST-CANCER
  • MUTATION CARRIERS
  • WOMEN
  • RISK
  • BRCA1
  • OOPHORECTOMY
  • CARCINOMA
  • SURVIVAL
  • POPULATION
  • ULTRASOUND

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Screening for Familial Ovarian Cancer: Failure of Current Protocols to Detect Ovarian Cancer at an Early Stage According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics System'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this