A review of the NICE guideline on ovarian cancer has identified new evidence related to the diagnostic accuracy of serum tumour marker HE4 and the ROMA score, resulting in a decision to update advice on what serum tumour marker tests should be carried out routinely to aid diagnosis.
Ovarian cancer arises from cells in, or near, the ovaries, which are situated in the pelvis and form part of the female reproductive system. There were approximately 7200 new cases of ovarian cancer in the UK in 2013, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases.
The incidence of ovarian cancer increases with age, with more than half of cases between 2011–2013 occurring in people aged 65 years and over. There were approximately 50 new cases in people under 19 years old in this time period, approximately 550 new cases in people under 40 years and approximately 1300 new cases in people under 50 years. Pelvic masses can also be caused by ovarian cysts – fluid filled sacs that develop on, or in, an ovary. While most ovarian cysts will be benign, some can become malignant.
Guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) on management of suspected ovarian masses in premenopausal women state that the incidence of a symptomatic ovarian cyst in a premenopausal person being malignant is approximately one in 1000 (rising to three in 1000 at the age of 50).
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