Currently no routine screening test exists for ovarian cancer. If a woman is experiencing ovarian cancer symptoms or has a strong family history or genetic predisposition such as a BRCA mutation, doctors may monitor her with one or a combination of tests:

• CA-125 Blood Test - CA-125 is a protein found in greater concentration in cancerous cells. Although a CA-125 blood test can be a useful tool for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, it is not uncommon for a CA-125 count to be elevated in pre-menopausal women due to benign conditions unrelated to ovarian cancer. Uterine fibroids, liver disease, inflammation of the fallopian tubes and other types of cancer can elevate a woman’s CA-125 level resulting in a false positive test. The CA-125 test is more accurate in post-menopausal women. However, in about 20 % of cases of advanced stage ovarian cancer, and 50 % of cases of early stage ovarian cancer, the CA-125 is NOT elevated, even though there is ovarian cancer present. As a result, the CA-125 is generally one of several tools used to screen for ovarian cancer. One of the most important uses of the CA-125 test is to evaluate the disease’s progress and tumor response in patients undergoing treatment, and to monitor the levels of women in remission for evidence of disease recurrence. An elevated CA-125 can indicate ovarian cancer; however, as noted above, it may sometimes result in false positives or false negatives.
• Transvaginal Sonogram - A transvaginal sonogram is a test used to examine a woman’s reproductive organs, mainly the vagina, the uterus, the fallopian tubes, and the bladder. This is done by inserting a probe into the woman’s vagina. The probe sends off sound waves, which reflect off body structures. The waves are then received by a computer that turns them into a picture the doctor can examine.
• Pelvic/Rectal Exam - During this exam, a doctor places one or two fingers into a woman’s vagina and another in her rectum to feel the size, shape and position of the ovaries and uterus.