A study published in the May 2007 issue of Cancer suggests that transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) may detect ovarian cancer early, at a more curable stage.

Researchers assessed annual ovarian cancer screening using TVS in 25,327 women who had no cancer-related symptoms or family history of the disease between 1987 and 2005. Of these women, 1.4% showed a persistent ovarian tumor on TVS, and most of the nonmetastatic tumors were early Stage I tumors.

During follow-up 5 years later, 38 women were alive and doing well, 4 died of the cancer, and 2 died from other causes. The 2-year survival rate in women annually screened with TVS was close to 90%, and the 5-year survival rate was a little over 77%.

Because ovarian cancer is difficult to detect until it reaches an advanced stage, TVS may play an important role in detecting the cancer earlier, hopefully resulting in fewer deaths.