Ovarian Cancer - Prevention

Diagnosis

Up to 95% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive longer than 5 years if their cancers are treated before they have spread beyond the ovaries. Unfortunately, there are no screening tests for ovarian cancer that are comparable to mammography for early detection of breast cancer. Therefore, only about 25% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at such early stages. It is possible to perform genetic screening in high-risk women, but this raises some complex issues.

Annual Gynecologic Checkup

Every woman should have a regular annual examination with her doctor that includes:

Pelvic examination. Routine pelvic exams are a reasonable precaution, although they are not a perfect screening method. This exam is performed in two ways. The doctor inserts two fingers into the vagina while feeling the abdomen with the other hand. The doctor also performs a bimanual rectovaginal exam, which involves the insertion of one finger into the vagina and another into the rectum.

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Both exams enable the doctor to assess the size of the ovaries as well as the contour and mobility of the uterus and to feel for masses and growths. The rectovaginal exam can sometimes reveal rectal lesions that may otherwise go unnoticed and is particularly important for women over 50. A mass felt on pelvic exam often requires further evaluation by ultrasound and sometimes requires surgery to make a definitive diagnosis.

Ruling out Benign Conditions

Many women are treated each year in the United States because of ovarian growths or lesions. Many more women find out about some ovarian abnormality during their annual gynecological exam. The vast majority of conditions are noncancerous. They include:

• Benign functional ovarian cysts
• Abscesses and infection
• Fibroids

Click the icon to see an image of a fibroid tumor.

• Endometriosis
• Polycystic ovaries

Click the icon to see an image of a polycystic ovary.

• Ectopic pregnancies

Click the icon to see an image of an ectopic pregnancy.

• Meig syndrome (which involves a benign ovarian growth associated with fluid buildup in the abdomen and around the lungs)
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome following fertility treatments.