Screening is free. A University of Kentucky gynecologic oncologist who developed an ovarian cancer screening test using ultrasound presented new data last week at a Society of Gynecologic Oncologists meeting in San Diego, Calif., showing the method successfully has detected early stage ovarian cancers in women who have no symptoms.
Ovarian cancer is curable if found early.
But because the disease has almost no initial symptoms, early detection is difficult. About 14,000 women, including 200 Kentuckians, die from the disease annually. UK's Ovarian Cancer Screening Program has screened more than 14,469 women. Tests confirmed ovarian tumors in 180 of those women and 17 tumors were malignant. The program is open to women age 50 or older, and to women 30 or older who have a family history of ovarian cancer.