Ovarian cancer has a low prognosis; only 40 percent of ovarian cancer patients survive five years after the diagnosis. This year alone, the American Cancer Society projects more than 14,000 people dying from the disease, even as 21,290 new cases are diagnosed.
A new study led by Dr. Usha Menon from University College London showed that a particular screening method could lower the number of people dying from the disease by 20 percent. The screening method, called Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA), detects a blood protein called CA125, which is associated with ovarian cancer.
It is not a new screening method, but in the study, it was used in a different way. Instead of screening for CA125 once and using a standard that shows if the blood protein is present in abnormal levels, the researchers created a formula that calculated not just the level of CA125 but the degree in which it changes over time while taking into account the woman's age. This formula yielded a risk score.
The study involved more than 200,000 women aged 50 to 74 who were in the post-menopausal stage, and followed them for 14 years. Within the study period, 1,282 of the participants were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. By the end of the study in December 2014, 649 of them had died.
The research team found that for every 10,000 women who go through annual blood test screening for ovarian cancer, 15 deaths could be prevented.
The study results also showed that only one in three women who went through surgery because of an abnormal result had ovarian cancer; the other two did not. Additionally, three percent of those who had surgery experienced complications.
"Finally we have data which suggests that screening may prevent ovarian cancer deaths. This is welcome news and provides fresh impetus for renewed efforts in this area," Menon said in a press release.
The researchers emphasized that the number of deaths that could be prevented by screening is just an estimate, as more follow-up studies are needed to establish the exact figures.
"We noted encouraging evidence of a mortality reduction in years 7-14, but further follow-up is needed before firm conclusions can be reached on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ovarian cancer screening," the researchers wrote.
The study was published online Dec. 17 in the journal The Lancet.
