Ovarian cancer is hard to detect and is usually found in the advanced stages. It is the most deadly of all gynecological cancers. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) screening has been associated with detecting ovarian cancer at earlier stages of the disease.

TVS is a procedure used to examine the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and bladder. An instrument is inserted into the vagina that causes sound waves to bounce off organs inside the pelvis. These sound waves create echoes that are sent to a computer, which creates a picture called a sonogram. The test is also known as a transvaginal ultrasound.

The researchers' findings appear in the May issue of Cancer. In the study, colleagues assessed the value of annual TVS screenings in over 25,000 women. Participants had to be at least 50 years of age with no cancer symptoms or at least 25 years of age with a family history of ovarian cancer.

The TVS screening found 44 ovarian malignant tumors, 28 women were stage I, 8 were stage II, and 8 were found to be stage III. This shows that over 60 percent of the ovarian cancers were found in the early stages using TVS screening.

The one thing about this article that caught my attention is that they included women 25 and older who had a family history of ovarian cancer. I think it is important if you do have a family history to ask your doctor about this test along with getting the CA-125 ovarian cancer tumor marker.

Early detection of ovarian cancer is the key to survival. Some symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague, but persistent, gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss, particularly weight gain in the abdominal region
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating, and/or feeling of fullness
• Pain during intercourse
• Ongoing fatigue
• Abnormal post-menopausal bleeding