Ovarian cancer accounts for only a small percentage of cancers among women — about 3 percent — but it causes more deaths than any other cancers of the female reproductive system.
Yet the Food and Drug Administration this week issued an alert to women and their health care providers about the risks of relying on any of the alleged tests available for early detection.
Currently there are no screening tests sensitive enough to reliably screen for ovarian cancer.
“Despite extensive research and published studies, there are currently no screening tests for ovarian cancer that are sensitive enough to reliably screen for ovarian cancer without a high number of inaccurate results,” the agency noted in a statement on Wednesday.
The recommendation doesn’t come lightly, but it follows an extensive review of clinical data from ovarian cancer screening trials and recommendations from health care professional societies and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Their biggest concern: Women and their physicians may rely on inaccurate results to make treatment decisions.
Some women may receive test results that suggest ovarian cancer even though no cancer is present (a false positive), which means they may undergo additional medical tests and/or unnecessary surgery, and may experience complications related to both. Tests might also show a false negative although cancer is present, which may lead women to delay or not seek surgery or other treatments.
“The FDA believes women at high risk for developing ovarian cancer should not use any currently offered test that claims to screen for ovarian cancer,” the statement read.
[lz_bulleted_list title=”Ovarian Cancer Symptoms” source=”http://www.ovarian.org”]Bloating|Pelvic or abdominal pain|Trouble eating or feeling full quickly|Need to urinate urgently or often|Fatigue|Upset stomach or heartburn|Back pain[/lz_bulleted_list]
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2016, more than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Women who have reached menopause, women who have a family history of ovarian cancer, and women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations have the highest risk for developing ovarian cancer.
The FDA recommends women talk to their doctor about ways to reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer, especially if there is a family history of ovarian cancer, or a woman has the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations.
The agency also says doctors should not recommend or use tests that claim to screen for ovarian cancer in the general population of women. They should consider referring women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, including those with BRCA mutations, to a genetic counselor or gynecologic oncologist, or some other appropriate health care provider, for more specialized care.
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