The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2012 recommendation against routine screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women, according to a report published February 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Annual screening with transvaginal ultrasonography and testing for the serum tumor marker cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) in asymptomatic women does not reduce the number of deaths from ovarian cancer, and harms from screening are at least moderate and may be substantial, including unnecessary surgery in women who do not have cancer, the task force said.
Women with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer may be at higher risk and should discuss the benefits and harms of screening with their doctors, according to the USPSTF.
