Kinder Ovarian Cancer
Diagnosis
Women diagnosed
with suspected ovarian cancer may no longer have to
undergo surgery only to find out that the tumor is
benign.
Researchers at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have
developed a new ovarian-tumor index that should help doctors
determine whether a tumor is malignant or benign.
Currently, doctors have a
difficult time diagnosing ovarian cancer and often recommend
aggressive treatment, just in case. This means that many women who
have ovarian cancer confirmed through ultrasound undergo major
surgery to find their tumors were benign and the surgery was
unnecessary.
The new tool was
developed in a study of 304 women. It uses ultrasound readings to
judge the likelihood of a patient having a cancerous or noncancerous tumor based on a
number of factors, including patient age, and the tumor's
appearance, size and blood
flow.
"The words 'ovarian
cancer' are probably the most terrifying to women. And that's
because it's so hard to diagnose and, thus, so deadly," says Dr.
David Scott Miller, a researcher and author of the report that
appears in the December issue of Cancer. "It may be possible
that if the index indicates a mass is benign, (the patient) may be
able to have a far less traumatic procedure, such as a
laparoscopy."
Adds co-author
Dr. Diane Twickler: "The index is a valuable way of interpreting a
complex set of ultrasound findings in a reasonable fashion that will
help the referring physician plan further testing, surgery or other
clinical management."
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