General Information

The chances of having breast cancer are about 1 in 9 over a woman’s lifetime.

The chances of having ovarian cancer are about 7-8 times lower than breast cancer.

Despite the lower probability, ovarian cancer kills more women than all other gynecologic malignancies combined.  Often ovarian cancer is not accompanied by symptoms until the disease is advanced.  In some cases, the early symptoms of ovarian cancer can resemble those of the typical flu, which is why women may disregard the symptoms until the cancer has reached the advanced stage.  Early stage ovarian cancer is very often curable and advanced stage ovarian cancer carries a poor prognosis for survival; however, beating ovarian cancer is dependent upon early detection. 

Women with an elevated risk profile for ovarian cancer (usually due to family history) are most likely to be monitored or screened for ovarian cancer.  However the vast majority of ovarian cancers do not arise from women at high risk because this group is small.  Most ovarian cancers occur in women who are over the age of 50 and do not have any symptoms.  Ovarian cancer screening of women over age 50 is not being recommended as a part of the standard of care.

Symptoms like pelvic pain or abdominal distension qualify women for diagnostic workups (not screening) involving a bimanual pelvic exam and transvaginal ultrasound.  Our research protocol experience involving more than 30,000 women who have received over 150,000 free ultrasound screens indicates that transvaginal ultrasound is the most effective way to detect early stage ovarian cancers and save lives.

Projected Costs

The costs of some different screening tests for individuals are projected at:
A.  Mammography: $150 
B.  Ovarian ultrasound: $150
C.  PSA (prostate specific antigen): $85

Some professionals focus on the entire cost of detecting a single cancer in a whole population.  In thinking this way, if 1 breast cancer is found on average in 10 women who are screened, then the cost of detecting that 1 cancer would be said to be

10 women X $150 per screen = $1500.

For ovarian cancer, about 50 ovarian cancers will occur in every 100,000 women age 50 or over. 
Thus, we could expect 1 ovarian cancer to turn up in every 2000 women screened and the cost of detecting 1 ovarian cancer would be calculated as:
2000 women X $50 per screen = $100,000
2000 women x $100 per screen = $200,000
2000 women x $150 per screen = $300,000

To achieve costs equivalent to the breast cancer population cost estimate, a screening test for ovarian cancer would need to be as low as $0.75 
(i.e. 2000 women x $0.75/screen = $1500).

The costs to treat one woman with advanced stage ovarian cancer (surgery, chemotherapy, palliative care) are $200,000 or more, with outcomes unlikely to be successful.

Now, please take our quick POLL and help us fight ovarian cancer!