Researchers have developed a screening test for ovarian cancer that potentially detects the disease at earlier stages (as opposed to advanced stage). The test works by isolating a patient’s DNA (the material that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and function). Early detection is very challenging because currently, there is no effective measure to screen for ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, ranking 5th overall in cancer-related deaths among women. Currently, the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, an independent panel of experts that provide recommendations for preventive medicine, does not recommend that women undergo screening for ovarian cancer if they are asymptomatic (not exhibiting clinical symptoms), because of the concern for false positives (an incorrect diagnosis that could lead to an unnecessary surgery or medical intervention). The advent of an ovarian cancer screening test may have clinical applicability for woman all over the world but for now, the results for this ovarian cancer screening test are preliminary.
About Women’s Cancer Research Foundation The Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) is one of Southern California’s and the nation’s most active research organizations for female cancers. We are dedicated to serving the interests of patients, families, and friends affected by women’s cancers. WCRF partners with physician-scientists nationally to make differences in women’s lives by offering hope, strength, and progress.
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