Ovarian Cancer Screening: Recommendations and Future Prospects

Abstract

Ovarian cancer remains a significant cause of mortality among women, largely due to challenges in early detection. Current screening strategies, including transvaginal ultrasound and CA125 testing, have limited sensitivity and specificity, particularly in asymptomatic women or those with early-stage disease. The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, the European Society of Pathology, and other health organizations currently do not recommend routine population-based screening for ovarian cancer due to the high rates of false-positives and the absence of a reliable early detection method.

This review examines existing ovarian cancer screening guidelines and explores recent advances in diagnostic technologies including radiomics, artificial intelligence, point-of-care testing, and novel detection methods.

Emerging technologies show promise with respect to improving ovarian cancer detection by enhancing sensitivity and specificity compared to traditional methods. Artificial intelligence and radiomics have potential for revolutionizing ovarian cancer screening by identifying subtle diagnostic patterns, while liquid biopsy-based approaches and cell-free DNA profiling enable tumor-specific biomarker detection. Minimally invasive methods, such as intrauterine lavage and salivary diagnostics, provide avenues for population-wide applicability. However, large-scale validation is required to establish these techniques as effective and reliable screening options.