Diagnosing ovarian cancer
There is no national screening programme for ovarian cancer in the UK. This is because there isn't a test that reliably picks up ovarian cancer at an early stage.
Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:
need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do
Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.
There has been a lot of research looking into screening for ovarian cancer.
Tests that are used to help diagnose ovarian cancer include:
the CA125 blood test
transvaginal ultrasound
Find out more about these tests
A large study called UKCTOCS looked at whether these tests could be used as part of a national screening programme.
The researchers found that ultrasound tests couldn’t find ovarian cancers earlier or save lives. The blood test did detect cancers earlier, but this didn’t lead to saving lives. They concluded that these tests couldn’t be used as screening tests in the general population.
These tests still play an important part in diagnosing ovarian cancer.
Find out more details about the results on our clinical trials database
Read our Cancer News article about the UKCTOCS trial results
Ovarian cancer can affect anyone born with female reproductive organs including the ovaries and fallopian tubes. This includes women, transgender men and non-binary people.
Some people have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer because other members of their family have had it. This is called a family history of cancer. For example, having a diagnosed with ovarian cancer increases the risk of ovarian cancer.
Some have an increased risk of ovarian cancer because they have an inherited gene change (fault). Several gene faults can increase ovarian cancer risk. This includes a fault in the:
BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene
RAD51C or RAD51D gene
BRIP1 gene
PALB2 gene
Having one of these faulty genes means that you are more likely to get ovarian cancer than someone who doesn’t.
Having certain genetic condition can increase the risk of ovarian cancer and some other cancers. These include:
Lynch syndrome
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
If you are worried about your family history of ovarian cancer, speak to your GP. They may refer you to a genetic specialist, who can assess your risk. Not everyone with a family history of cancer is at an increased risk themselves. So if your GP doesn’t think you need a referral you can ask them to explain why this is.
If the genetic specialist decides that you have a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, you will have counselling about your options. This is usually surgery to remove your ovaries and fallopian tubes (a bilateral salpino-oophrectomy).
If you can’t have surgery for any reason or you choose not to, you may have a CA125 blood test every 4 months.
Last reviewed: 17 Feb 2025
Next review due: 17 Feb 2028
You usually start by seeing your GP. They might refer you to a specialist and organise tests.
You have a number of tests to check for ovarian cancer. This usually includes blood tests and an ultrasound scan.
Ovarian cancer is when abnormal cells in the ovary grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer can include a swollen or painful tummy, loss of appetite or urinary changes.
Factors that increase the risk of ovarian cancer include getting older and inherited faulty genes.
Ovarian cancer is when abnormal cells in the ovary, fallopian tube or peritoneum begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.
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