Ovarian Carcinoma: The Physician's Obligation to Improve Prognosis

Abstract

As many as 80 per cent of ovarian cancers are inoperable when discovered. Only a few are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. In one study, surgical treatment of operable ovarian carcinoma was inadequate in 50 per cent of cases. These data point to ways of improving prognosis and to the conclusion that periodic pelvic examination between the ages of 30 and 59 years is the only means to achieve a major alteration in survival rate. Physicians who disparage the “routine” pelvic examination forget that it is intended to evaluate all the pelvic structures and provide an opportunity to correct any significant abnormality; discovery of an ovarian lesion is essentially an important by-product of the procedure.