Background Ovarian carcinoma is a poor prognosis cancer mainly due to its late diagnosis. Its incidence is relatively low but mortality is high. The symptomatology is only slightly specific, which complicates diagnostic management. It would therefore be interesting to be able to establish a diagnosis as early as possible in order to improve the prognosis of patients suffering from ovarian cancer. Materials and methods Currently, the combination of an ultrasound examination with a cancer antigen (CA)-125 assay is the most effective diagnostic technique, but not already admitted as a screening method. Therefore, we realized an exhaustive analysis of the most important studies in the last 15 years, in order to find new approaches in ovarian cancer screening. Results The age for initiating screening and its frequency are issues that are not fully resolved. The false positives and morbidity that result from screening are currently notable limitations. Conclusions The latest data do not support effective screening in the general population.
Keywords: CA-125; detection; general population; ovarian cancer; screening.