Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study

Name of the Study

Prospective Screening Study of Risk-Reducing Salpingo-oophorectomy and Longitudinal CA-125 Screening in Participants at Increased Genetic Risk of Ovarian Cancer (GOG-0199). See the protocol summary.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Mark H. Greene of NCI's Clinical Genetics Branch, DCEG.

Dr. Mark H. Greene Principal Investigator

Why This Study Is Important

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The lifetime risk of ovarian cancer in the general population is about 1.4 percent by age 70. But women with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes (genes that normally helps to suppress cell growth) face cumulative risks of 16-40 percent. For these women, preventive removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes does lower the risk of ovarian and breast cancer, but the magnitude of these reductions is still uncertain.

Neither the impact of preventive surgery on quality of life, nor the consequences of premature menopause, have been carefully studied in women at high-risk. At present, there is no proven screening strategy shown to decrease mortality due to ovarian cancer.

This national trial, conducted with the Gynecologic Oncology Group and the Cancer Genetics Network, will more precisely quantify the extent of cancer risk reduction after preventive surgery, assess both quality of life and incidence of non-cancer diseases related to premature menopause, and evaluate a novel approach to ovarian cancer screening based on quantitative assessment of changes in CA-125 over time.

"About 30 percent of women with ovarian cancer survive longer than five years," said Dr. Greene. "But, if diagnosed and treated before the cancer spreads beyond the ovaries, 90-95 percent of patients live longer than five years. Developing effective prevention and early detection methods is crucial in fighting this disease, particularly for women who are at much greater risk."

Contact Information

This study is no longer recruiting new patients. To locate other clinical trials for ovarian cancer, search the NCI database of clinical trials or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). For more information about this study, visit the study Web site.