Ultrasound and ovarian cancer screening: is there a future?

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death due to gynecologic malignant disease. Advances in ultrasound have improved the ability to identify the more subtle characteristics of adnexal masses, resulting in an increasing volume of research addressing its use to accurately predict whether masses are benign or malignant, and the inclusion of ultrasound in large-scale studies addressing screening for ovarian cancer. Herein, we explore some of the factors that make screening for ovarian cancer challenging, review the major trials addressing the effect of ovarian cancer screening, and examine data relating to more recent advances in ultrasound technology.