Medical Health Encyclopedia

Unfortunately, ultrasound does not provide enough specific information to reliably determine which abnormal masses are malignant and which are benign.

• Studies suggest that small so-called simple cysts (fluid-filled without an associated mass) are usually noncancerous, particularly when they appear in premenopausal women whose blood tests for the protein CA-125 are normal. Such women are sometimes given oral contraceptives and observed for a few months to see if the cyst goes away.
• Postmenopausal women with small simple cysts and normal CA-125 levels may sometimes be observed for a time if they have no other risk factors or symptoms of ovarian cancer.
• In contrast, a "complex" cyst (one that shows a mass or other abnormalities) is often surgically removed, since it has a higher chance of being malignant. It should be noted, however, that even among these cysts only about a small percentage turn out to be malignant. (In one study 6% of complex cysts were actually cancerous.)

Click the icon to see an image of an ovarian cyst.

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Other Imaging Techniques. Other imaging techniques used less commonly in the diagnosis or evaluation of suspected ovarian cancer include the following:

• Computed tomography (CT). Computed tomography records X-ray absorption rates of tissue and bone. This data is converted into clear images on a screen. CT scans are useful to determine if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, abdominal organs, abdominal fluid, and the liver.

Click the icon to see an image of a CT scan.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI creates multiple cross-sectional images of the pelvis and abdominal organs, which are assembled into three-dimensional images. They are being investigated for preoperative assessment of patients with possible ovarian cancer. Their value is undefined, however, and most patients do not require them prior to undergoing a definitive surgical procedure.

Click the icon to see an image of a MRI scan.

• Abdominal X-rays.

Click the icon to see an image of an x-ray machine.

CA-125 Blood Test