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Scientists have developed a new method for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A group of doctors, after a long experiment, stated that ovarian cancer can be detected even before the first symptoms appear. The study, which lasted more than 10 years, involved 46 thousand women who had already stopped menstruating. All participants in the experiment were monitored by doctors and their blood was regularly taken. In the women's blood, doctors monitored the level of the protein CA125, which has the property of constantly changing. But as the tumor develops, this protein begins to be produced by the malignant neoplasm in huge quantities (blood analysis for the level of CA125 is already used to detect some types of tumors).
After the scientists noted an increase in the level of CA-125 in a participant in the experiment, the woman was sent for an ultrasound examination and further examination. The method used by British doctors made it possible to diagnose a malignant neoplasm in almost 90% of cases.
A group of British doctors have developed, in their words, the most effective method of early diagnosis of ovarian cancer to date. The method is based on the analysis of protein levels in the blood, which will make it possible to detect the disease at an early stage, long before the first signs.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among all female oncological diseases. According to statistics, more than half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer live no more than five years, as a rule, this is due to the fact that this disease is detected at late stages and treatment in these cases is ineffective.
A group of specialists from the University of London cannot yet say whether their work will help reduce the mortality rate from ovarian cancer among women in the future (the results of the study will only be available to the specialists in the autumn). This research project has become the largest in the world in the field of oncological research, and its full completion is expected in the second half of 2015.
The difficulty in diagnosing ovarian cancer is that the disease manifests itself in the same way as some other disorders (pain in the lower abdomen, bloating, problems with nutrition, etc.).
Ovarian cancer occurs in postmenopausal women and is extremely rare before the age of 40. Experts suggest that ovarian cancer is associated with hormonal imbalances: most often, cancer occurs in women who have not given birth (infertile). At the same time, taking oral contraceptives somewhat reduces the risk of developing cancer; according to statistics, ovarian cancer is diagnosed twice as rarely in women who took such drugs before the age of 30 for five or more years.
The first sign of the disease is bloating, a feeling of overeating, pain in the pelvic area, urgent urge to urinate. In addition, there may be frequent changes in weight (decrease or increase), constant weakness, indigestion, frequent changes in the nature of the stool (diarrhea alternating with constipation). As the disease progresses, there is pain in the lower back, soreness during the accumulation of gases in the intestines, anemia, the last stage of exhaustion of the body, swelling of the legs, cardiovascular or respiratory failure.
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