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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Apr;113(4):775-782.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31819cda77.

Results from four rounds of ovarian cancer screening in a randomized trial

Edward Partridge  1 , Aimee R Kreimer, Robert T Greenlee, Craig Williams, Jian-Lun Xu, Timothy R Church, Bruce Kessel, Christine C Johnson, Joel L Weissfeld, Claudine Isaacs, Gerald L Andriole, Sheryl Ogden, Lawrence R Ragard, Saundra S Buys; PLCO Project Team
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Results from four rounds of ovarian cancer screening in a randomized trial

Edward Partridge et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To test whether annual screening with transvaginal ultrasonography and CA 125 reduces ovarian cancer mortality.

Methods: Data from the first four annual screens, denoted T0-T3, are reported. A CA 125 value at or above 35 units/mL or an abnormality on transvaginal ultrasonography was considered a positive screen. Diagnostic follow-up of positive screens was performed at the discretion of participants' physicians. Diagnostic procedures and cancers were tracked and verified through medical records.

Results: Among 34,261 screening arm women without prior oophorectomy, compliance with screening ranged from 83.1% (T0) to 77.6% (T3). Screen positivity rates declined slightly with transvaginal ultrasonography, from 4.6 at T0 to 2.9-3.4 at T1-T3; CA 125 positivity rates (range 1.4-1.8%) showed no time trend. Eighty-nine invasive ovarian or peritoneal cancers were diagnosed; 60 were screen detected. The positive predictive value (PPV) and cancer yield per 10,000 women screened on the combination of tests were similar across screening rounds (range 1.0-1.3% for PPV and 4.7-6.2 for yield); however, the biopsy (surgery) rate among screen positives decreased from 34% at T0 to 15-20% at T1-T3. The overall ratio of surgeries to screen-detected cancers was 19.5:1. Seventy-two percent of screen-detected cases were late stage (III/IV).

Conclusion: Through four screening rounds, the ratio of surgeries to screen-detected cancers was high, and most cases were late stage. However, the effect of screening on mortality is as yet unknown.

Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00002540

Level of evidence: II.

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