Screening in ovarian cancer
Article Abstract:
Ovarian cancer has received a great deal of publicity since the death of the comedienne Gilda Radner. A great deal of attention has focused on the tendency of this cancer to run in families and on the new screening techniques available. Recent studies have not uncovered particularly strong family links involved in this cancer, although a higher incidence of ovarian cancer does occur in the family histories of patients with the disease than those who do not have it. For any screening technique to be effective, it must be both highly sensitive, that is capable of detecting disease where present, and highly specific, that is, unlikely to indicate disease when it is not present. The cancer must also occur at a fairly high rate to justify screening a large number of people. Two screening techniques were evaluated to determine whether their regular use is warranted. The first involves measuring levels of a substance known as CA 125 in the blood serum. Studies have shown that the levels of these tumor markers are increased in women with ovarian cancer. Of those women with elevated CA 125 levels, the ones who actually have cancer has been variously reported to be between 3 and 11 percent, meaning that it would be useful for screening only a select group of high-risk patients. The other screening test involves ultrasonography, a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves. In one study, of women who had two abnormal scan results, 1.5 percent had ovarian cancer upon surgical evaluation. Although both screening techniques show promise and should be researched further, the evidence so far does not justify their widespread use. The costs would be incredibly high and the deaths and injuries to women who undergo surgical examination after a positive screening test result could far exceed the number of lives saved by early cancer detection. Further research on these screening tools is needed before they are used routinely. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-9378
Year: 1991
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Early invasive carcinoma of the cervix (3 to 5 mm invasion): risk factors and prognosis
Article Abstract:
Women with stage 1A(sub)2 cervical cancer have a good prognosis if the disease has not progressed to the uterus. This stage of cancer is defined as cancer that has invaded the cervix to a depth of about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch. A study of 188 women with stage 1A(sub)2 cervical cancer found that those with no invasion of the uterus as seen on hysterectomy samples had a very low risk of cancer recurrence, lymph node metastasis or death.
Publication Name: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-9378
Year: 1998
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Significance of true surgical pathologic staging: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study
Article Abstract:
In a study of 148 women diagnosed with stage II endometrial cancer, only 24% actually had stage II cancer as determined by surgery. Some of the women had milder forms of the disease and some had worse forms. Many of these women would not receive the best treatment because of an incorrect diagnosis.
Publication Name: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0002-9378
Year: 1999
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