OVARIAN CANCER SCREENING

FACTS:

• Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States
• Ovarian cancer occurs in women of all ages, over 50% of cases in women over age 50.
• 75% of ovarian cancer is diagnosed in stage III or IV when 5 year survival rates are less than 25%.
• 5 year survival rates for ovarian cancer diagnosed in stage 1 is 90%, and diagnosed in stage II is 60-70%.
• Screening for ovarian cancer has been shown to result in earlier detection and thus improved survival.
• There is no uniformly accepted method for ovarian cancer screening.
• The US preventive services task force (USSPSTF) found that screening CA-125 or ultrasound can detect ovarian cancer at an earlier stage and earlier detection will result in higher survival rates. However, the USPSTF’S official position is that because of the low prevalence of ovarian cancer and the invasive testing that can occur after positive screening test, the potential risks outweigh the benefits, and therefore they feel screening should not be routinely performed.
• Ovarian cancer screening is not considered medically necessary by insurance companies and is therefore not a covered service.
• Ovarian cancer screening will result in false positive screening results, which will lead to unnecessary alarm, will require further investigation, and may lead to further invasive procedures.

Dr. Evans believes that ovarian cancer screening can detect ovarian cancer in early stages and that all women should be offered the option for ovarian screening, with the understanding that false positives do occur, so each woman can make her own informed decision about ovarian cancer screening.

Dr. Evans recommends ovarian cancer screening for all women over the age of 50 who still have ovaries, and for women under 50 who are at high risk.

For screening purposes, Dr. Evans recommends:

1.                  A CA-125 blood test done at the time of your annual gynecological exam

2.                  A pelvic ultrasound done if you are having abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating or unexplained indigestion.

Dr. Evans has negotiated a discounted rate for the CA-125 blood test when you are willing to pay for the service up front.  This discounted fee is available because the lab does not have the expense of billing your insurance company.

            The discounted fee is $75.00  

If you believe that your insurance company will pay for this screening test then Dr. Evans will provide you with a lab order to have these services performed.