Screening for ovarian cancer
There is no national screening programme for ovarian cancer in the UK. This is because there isn't a test that reliably picks up ovarian cancer at an early stage.
What is cancer screening?
Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:
- need to be reliable at picking up cancers
- overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
- must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
Previous research into ovarian screening
There has been a lot of research looking into screening for ovarian cancer.
Tests that are used to help diagnose ovarian cancer include:
- the CA125 blood test
- transvaginal ultrasound
A large study called UKCTOCS looked at whether these tests could be used as part of a national screening programme.
The researchers found that ultrasound tests couldn’t find ovarian cancers earlier or save lives. The blood test did detect cancers earlier, but this didn’t lead to saving lives. They concluded that these tests couldn’t be used as screening tests in the general population.
These tests still play an important part in diagnosing ovarian cancer.
People at a higher risk of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer can affect anyone with female reproductive organs including the ovaries and fallopian tubes. This includes women, transgender men and non-binary people.
Some people have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer because other members of their family have had it. This is called a family history of cancer. For example, having a 
diagnosed with ovarian cancer increases the risk of ovarian cancer.
Some have an increased risk of ovarian cancer because they have an inherited gene change (fault). Several gene faults can increase ovarian cancer risk. This includes a fault in the:
- BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene
- RAD51C or RAD51D gene
- BRIP1 gene
- PALB2 gene
Having one of these faulty genes means that you are more likely to get ovarian cancer than someone who doesn’t.
Having certain genetic condition can increase the risk of ovarian cancer and some other cancers. These include:
- Lynch syndrome
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
What to do if you think you are at risk
If you are worried about your family history of ovarian cancer, speak to your GP. They may refer you to a genetic specialist, who can assess your risk. Not everyone with a family history of cancer is at an increased risk themselves. So if your GP doesn’t think you need a referral you can ask them to explain why this is.
If the genetic specialist decides that you have a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, you will have counselling about your options. This is usually surgery to remove your ovaries and fallopian tubes (a bilateral salpino-oophrectomy).
If you can’t have surgery for any reason or you choose not to, you may have a CA125 blood test every 4 months.
