Prof Ian Jacobs

Department of Gynaecological Oncology
University College London
London

Screening for ovarian cancer

Professor Ian Jacobs and his team are testing ovarian cancer screening techniques to see which are most effective.

Ovarian cancer can be hard to treat because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Screening has the potential to pick up the disease at a much earlier stage, and could save thousands of lives.

Professor Ian Jacobs is leading two trials on ovarian cancer screening.

The UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS).

At present, only women with a strong family history of ovarian cancer are closely monitored for signs of the disease. But recent research has suggested that routine screening of all post-menopausal women may lead to early diagnosis and successful treatment in many more cases.

The UKCTOCS trial is testing whether either screening or ultrasound scanning, or a blood test for a protein called CA125 (a molecule linked to ovarian cancer) can save lives. Over 200,000 post-menopausal women nationwide are taking part. The results will establish how many lives can be saved by ovarian cancer screening, and help inform decisions on any future national screening programmes.

The United Kingdom Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study

Around 10 per cent of new ovarian cancer cases are linked to a family history of the disease. Professor Jacobs is leading a second trial which focuses on women at high risk of the disease. These women have often inherited a faulty copy of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

At the moment, the best way of preventing the disease in these women through surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes. But this is not suitable for women who may still want to have children, and many women do not want to undergo surgery of this type. The other alternative is screening to try and detect the cancer early.

In this study, Professor Jacobs is testing the feasibility and effectiveness of screening high-risk women - they will be given an annual ultrasound, and a CA125 test every four months.

An effective screening programme for woman at high risk of ovarian cancer would provide an alternative to undergoing surgery.