ASK KAREN: Are there any screening tests to detect ovarian cancer?
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Karen McNew
WSLS 10 Anchor
Published: October 22, 2008
QUESTION: Are there any screening tests to detect ovarian cancer?
ANSWER: I talked with Blue Ridge Cancer Care oncologist Dr. Bill Fintel for information about detecting ovarian cancer.
He says, “The ovaries are tucked away in a place too hard to reach well, and there is no good screening test yet devised.”
According to the American Cancer Society, “About 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found at an early stage.”
ACS says that one of the challenges of diagnosing ovarian cancer is the vagueness of the symptoms. A routine women’s health exam can help with early diagnosis as well.
Ovarian cancer symptoms include swelling of the abdomen or bloating caused by a build-up of fluid or a tumor; pelvic pressure or stomach pain; trouble eating or feeling full quickly; and having to urinate often or feeling like you have to “go” right away.
According to ACS, “Women with a high risk of ovarian cancer may be screened with ultrasound or blood tests.
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