The first British clinical guideline on how to detect, diagnose and treat ovarian cancer is launched today.
The guidance has been compiled by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
The five-year survival rate from ovarian cancer is 35 per cent, with early diagnosis improving the chance of survival. Some 6,800 women are diagnosed with the disease each year in the UK.
Dr Fergus Macbeth of NICE says the symptoms of ovarian cancer – bloating, feeling full quickly, lower abdominal pain and needing to urinate urgently or frequently – can be mistaken for conditions like irritable bowel syndrome.
"This misconception can lead to many women being referred to inappropriate care pathways or being diagnosed once the cancer is at an advanced stage," he warns.
He recommends a blood test to measure the level of a protein called CA125. This is already available on the NHS. If necessary, women can then be given an ultrasound scan and referred to a specialist.
Chair of the Guideline Development Group, Mr Sean Duffy, believes: "GPs and other primary care professionals can play a key role in facilitating earlier diagnoses by carrying out some of the initial investigations that would otherwise take place in hospitals."
Dr Tony Falconer of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists welcomed the guideline. "The fundamental issue for health care providers is to diagnose the condition at the earliest point of presentation," he said.
NICE has also released guidance on the drug combination trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (PLDH). They say is not recommended as a treatment for relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.
Their independent appraisal committee considered all the available evidence and has "concerns over how well it works compared with the most commonly-used treatments", as "the data was not robust".
Sir Andrew Dillon of NICE said: "We cannot be sure that trabectedin extends patients’ lives for longer than the most routinely used treatments."
Leave a Reply