Medical Health Encyclopedia

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer rarely produces changes that are detectable during a regular checkup.

Ruling Out Benign Conditions

An estimated 290,000 women are hospitalized each year in the United States because of ovarian growths or lesions; many more women are informed of some ovarian abnormality during their annual ob/gyn check up. The vast majority of conditions are noncancerous. They include the following:

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

Once a growth is detected, additional tests as outlined below may help the physician gauge the risk for it being cancerous.

Transvaginal Ultrasound and Other Imaging Tests

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Ultrasound. Ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that is used to evaluate tumors and masses discovered during the rectovaginal exam:

• Typically, a probe is placed in the vagina that emits sound waves (ultrasound), which bounce off tissues, organs, and masses in the pelvic cavity. These echoes are collected and converted into a picture of the area called a sonogram.

Click the icon to see an image of transvaginal ultrasound.

• The ultrasound probe may also be placed on abdominal walls above the ovaries (transabdominal ultrasound), but it does not provide as clear a picture of the ovaries. Healthy tissue, fluid-filled cysts, and solid tumors produce different sound waves.