Ovarian Cancer
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Screening and Preventive Medicine Recommendations
The USPSTF recommends against routine screening for ovarian cancer. (D)
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Any malignant or cancerous growth of the ovaries (glands in females that produce hormones and egg cells).
Why Employers Should Care?
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality of all cancers of the female reproductive system, which reflects, in part, a lack of early symptoms and proven ovarian cancer screening tests. Thus, ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, after the cancer has spread beyond the ovary.
- New cases estimated for 2009: 21,5501
- Deaths estimated for 2009: 14,6001
- Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and it is the fifth leading cause of death in women.2
- Approximately 85 percent of women with ovarian cancer are 55 or older.1
- The highest incidence rates are in white women.1
- A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 71.1
- In the United States, approximately $2.2 billion (in 2004 dollars) is spent each year on the treatment of ovarian cancer.3
What Employers Should Do?
- Annual physician visits — Encourage female employees to receive regular physician visits to screen for various gynecological irregularities
- Recommend high-risk employees document their family history and get regular screenings, including pap smears, during annual medical examinations.
Other Resources
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