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Characteristics of persistent ovarian masses in asymptomatic women
Author(s) -
BHAN V.,
AMSO N.,
WHITEHEAD M. I.,
CAMPBELL S.,
COLLINS W. P.,
ROYSTON P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1989.tb06299.x
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , medicine , ovary , ovarian cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , gynecology , postmenopausal women , cancer , pathology , biology , paleontology
Summary Persistent ovarian masses have been found in a substantial proportion of 5479 self‐selected asymptomatic women who were screened for early ovarian neoplasia. Each woman was scheduled to undergo three ultrasound screens (consisting of 1–12 scans) to detect regressing and non‐regressing masses. A total of 14,594 screens (15,977 scans) was performed. The average interval between successive screens was 595 days (range 214–1134 days). Overall, 650screens (4.4%; 10.1% of women) produced a positive result which became negative with successive scans (four times more frequently in pre‐than naturally postmenopausal women), and 338 screens (2.3%; 5.9% of women) had a final positive result (at least one ovary that was grossly abnormal or contained a persistent mass). Biopsies were taken from 336 ovaries (89% of total, 271 women). Overall, 134 tumour‐like conditions and 119 benign tumours were identified. The detection rate of tumour‐like conditions was 1.5 times higher in premenopausal than naturally postmenopausal women, whereas the proportion of tumours to normal ovaries was similar in both groups. Overall, 51% of tumour‐like conditions and 70% of all tumours were detected at screen 1. Four women had metastatic ovarian cancer (three at screen 1, one at screen 2; two were bilateral). Five women (0.1%) had a primary malignant tumour (two at screen 1, three at screen 2; four were stage la and one was stage Ib). All women are being monitored to obtain additional information about the significance of the findings.