Scientists have formulated a system that
uses ultrasound images to
accurately work out the likelihood of an ovarian growth being cancerous.
The team - from international institutions including Imperial College
London and the University of Leuven - say the system could allow medics to
classify a tumour as
cancerous before surgery, and could potentially improve outcomes for patients.
In a study looking at the tumours of 4,500 women, the model predicted cancer risk
with 98 per cent accuracy.
Ovarian cancer affects
approximately 230,000 women globally. Women aged over 50 are most commonly
affected, and symptoms include abdominal pain and persistent bloating. The
disease is diagnosed through a combination of scans and blood tests.
In the new study, which was conducted
with over 4,500 patients from across Europe the researchers used an existing
system of ovarian tumour classification called the Simple Rules.
These act like a checklist for
healthcare professionals performing an ultrasound scan of the tumor. They
highlight ten features - such as size of the growth or whether it has smooth or
rough edges - and classify it into one of three categories: cancerous,
non-cancerous (benign) or inconclusive. This helps medics decide whether or not
to operate.
The team behind the current study wanted
to see if the Simple Rules system could be made more detailed - and identify
the percentage cancer risk for each individual patient. They also wanted to
reduce the number of tumors dubbed inconclusive.
After analyzing the tumors of over 4,500
women over the course of ten years, the team created a mathematical model that
weights each of the features in the Simple Rules, and calculates the risk of a tumor
being cancerous.
The study, published in the American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found the model predicted
cancer risk with 98 per cent accuracy. The system maintained its accuracy even
without using results from the blood test currently used to help diagnose the
condition, called CA125.
Professor Tom Bourne, one of the senior
authors on the study, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial
said: "This system enables us to accurately calculate a cancer risk for
each individual patient with ovarian growths, before they undergo surgery.
Using this information we can then discuss with patients the best course of
treatment.
"Crucially, providing an accurate cancer risk from an ultrasound
scan may enable patients with a high cancer risk to see a specialist - and see
them sooner. Some estimates suggest less than half of women with ovarian cancer
in the UK are operated on by a specialist gynecological cancer surgeon, despite
the outcome being significantly better for women when this happens. If we can
get the right women to the right surgeon we can improve outcomes for women with
this disease. On the other hand we can also avoid women with benign cysts having
surgery they may not need."
The
authors argue that the Simple Rules system is more accurate than the current
system also in use in the UK, called the Risk of Malignancy Index, and hope it
will be adopted more widely.
I read quite often fertility treatments can increase cancer risks. I personally don't see the connection. Well, during ivf shots lots of meds are used. Mainly hormonal ones. which can provoke some disbalances in the organizm etc. and if it's weak, there's the possibility of different diseases development. Moreover, if we are talking about brests. No ultrasounds are allowed when there's diagnoses with brests. 'cause those might influence badly. There are so many issues to become aware about before heading for treatments. Dr is the one who'll explain the best.
ReplyDeleteI've read this on the internet.~ In some women, there is undoubtedly a genetic factor. Ovarian cancer is about twice as common in women who have not had children. According to most studies, it is more common in women who have delayed child-bearing. Women who give birth before the age of 25 are less likely to get ovarian cancer and with each five-year delay, the chance of developing it increases by about ten per cent. Different studies show different associations with miscarriage; some report the risk is higher after a miscarriage, but others suggest it may be lower. Women who have an early menopause (before the age of 45) are at lower risk than those who go through the menopause after they are 50. Women who use the pill for longer than five years seem to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by around 50 per cent. It is unclear whether women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at greater risk. Infertile women are about twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer. Interestingly, this effect is also seen in women married to infertile men.
ReplyDeleteThere is no clear evidence of an increased risk of ovarian cancer in women having IVF treatment or fertility injections, compared with women who are infertile. There is some doubt about an increased risk in women who are given these drugs but who do not become pregnant. Unexplained infertility in some women may occasionally be due to some ovarian abnormality – which could possibly include some very early form of ovarian pre-cancer.