High Accuracy Ultrasound May Identify 96 Percent of Postmenopausal Women with Ovarian Cancer: Lancet Oncology Study - Video

An ultrasound test that detected 96% of ovarian cancers in postmenopausal women should replace the current standard of care test in the UK according to a new study.

In a paper published in Lancet Oncology, research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by Professor Sudha Sundar from the University of Birmingham compared all currently available tests to diagnose ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women head-to-head in a high-quality diagnostic test accuracy study.

Of the six diagnostic tests investigated, the IOTA ADNEX model which looks at ultrasound features had the best accuracy of all and could detect up to 96% of women with ovarian cancer.

Sudha Sundar, Professor of Gynaecological Cancer at the University of Birmingham and consultant

“The ultrasound test also performs well when delivered by a trained sonographer who have received specific training and certification and quality assurance, and as the vast majority of ultrasound scans are performed by sonographers it is important that a new standard is able to be delivered by as many clinical professionals as possible.

“We found that the higher sensitivity of the IOTA ADNEX model is likely to lead to some women who don’t have cancer also being flagged up as having a higher risk of cancer. We however did discuss this extensively with patients, cancer charity Target ovarian cancer and NHS experts who all agreed that in postmenopausal women who are at higher risk of ovarian cancer, picking up more women with cancer would benefit women overall.”

Reference: Sundar, S., Agarwal, R., Davenport, C., Scandrett, K., Johnson, S., Sengupta, P., ... & Deeks, J. (2024). A multicentre, prospective cohort study investigating the diagnostic accuracy of risk prediction models in women with symptoms of suspected ovarian cancer (The ROCkeTS Study): results for post-menopausal women. The Lancet Oncology.