Ann is 25 years old and healthy; her grandmother died of ovarian cancer at age 48. Which screening test should she be advised to have?

Ann is 25 years old and healthy; her grandmother died of ovarian cancer at age 48. Which screening test should she be advised to have?

• A. Transvaginal ultrasonography
• B. Chest X-ray
• C. Mammography and clinical breast examination
• D. Blood test for tumour marker CA-125

Answer: (C)

When there’s a possible genetic predisposition to breast cancer suggested by a relative with ovarian cancer, the focus shifts to early breast cancer screening. Mammography is the primary tool for detecting breast cancer early, and a clinical breast examination helps identify any palpable changes that imaging might miss. Together, they provide targeted screening for someone at higher risk than the average population. There isn’t a reliable, routinely recommended screening test for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic individuals. CA-125 can be elevated for many benign reasons and lacks specificity, and transvaginal ultrasound, while useful in some diagnostic contexts, is not a proven routine screening test for ovarian cancer. Chest X-ray isn’t used for screening breast or ovarian cancer. Therefore, in the context of potential genetic risk from a family history of ovarian cancer, focusing on breast cancer screening with mammography and a clinical breast examination is the best advised approach.

When there’s a possible genetic predisposition to breast cancer suggested by a relative with ovarian cancer, the focus shifts to early breast cancer screening. Mammography is the primary tool for detecting breast cancer early, and a clinical breast examination helps identify any palpable changes that imaging might miss. Together, they provide targeted screening for someone at higher risk than the average population.

There isn’t a reliable, routinely recommended screening test for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic individuals. CA-125 can be elevated for many benign reasons and lacks specificity, and transvaginal ultrasound, while useful in some diagnostic contexts, is not a proven routine screening test for ovarian cancer. Chest X-ray isn’t used for screening breast or ovarian cancer. Therefore, in the context of potential genetic risk from a family history of ovarian cancer, focusing on breast cancer screening with mammography and a clinical breast examination is the best advised approach.