Ovarian cancer screening using transvaginal ultrasound with or without a blood test for tumour markers detects malignancy at an earlier stage but does not reduce mortality, a UK-based trial shows.

The “disappointing” results mean successful screening for ovarian cancer is still at least 10 years away, says UNSW Sydney’s vice-chancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs, a gynaecological oncologist who led the multicentre study for 13 years.

In the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) study, more than 200,000 postmenopausal women (ages 50-74) were randomised to receive annual screening with transvaginal ultrasound, annual multimodal screening with longitudinal CA125 plus second-line transvaginal ultrasound, or no screening.

Over a median 16 years of follow-up, the incidence of ovarian and tubal cancers was similar in all three groups (1%).