Ovarian Cancer Deaths Could Drop By 20 Percent With Annual Blood Test

Scientists have carried out 14-year trial into the disease and suggest a yearly blood test could save 15 lives for every 10,000 women screened

Ovarian cancer deaths could be slashed by 20% with an annual blood test, experts say.

In the biggest ever study into the disease , scientists found that carrying out screening in women who are at risk can reduce the numbers who die from it.

The 14-year trial suggested a yearly blood test for levels of a particular protein could prevent 15 deaths for every 10,000 women screened.

Health experts hailed the work as a “landmark step” in tackling ovarian cancer but warned more research was needed before the screening process should be widely introduced.

The study - the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) - was carried out by scientists in the UK and Australia with the backing of the Department of Health, the UK Medical Research Council and cancer charities.

Ovarian cancer kills around 4,000 women each year in the UK and is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, with 60% of patients dying within five years of diagnosis.

UKCTOCS tested more than 200,000 post-menopausal women for 14 years at 13 centres across the UK.

The study compared those who received no screening, those who were given a yearly ultrasound and those who received an annual blood test for levels of the protein CA125, with an ultrasound as a second-line test.

During the period of the study 1,282 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Results suggested that for women who received the annual blood test, the current reduction in death rates is estimated at 15%.

This was made up of an 8% reduction for the first seven years, followed by a 23% relative mortality reduction between years seven and 14.

Analysis that excluded cases of the cancer already being prevalent estimated that a long-term effect of such a screening was approximately a 28% fall in death rates after year seven.

The study found that around 15 deaths could be prevented by the blood test for every 10,000 women screened. However, for every woman with a positive screening who subsequently received surgery and was found to have ovarian cancer, two did not.

The report said: “After excluding women who, when they joined the trial, had undiagnosed ovarian cancer, there was a significant reduction in deaths with an average mortality reduction of 20% and in years seven to 14 of 28%.”


Source: mirror.co