Warning issued to women over vital ovarian cancer screenings

A warning has been issued for thousands of women in Ireland who are missing out on ovarian cancer screenings.

Similar to a breast cancer screening, where those diagnosed are eligible for genetic tests along with their families, patients who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are also given this option. The tests are designed to identify the so-called “Angelina Jolie” BRCA gene and are available to anyone deemed to be at a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. A new survey by the charity Ovacome has found that out of 142 women with ovarian cancer that took part in the research, over one in five were not checked. [caption id="attachment_432410" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Credit: Getty[/caption] The mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can leave women, or anyone with a uterus, up to 22 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer and they are six-times more likely to develop breast cancer. The charity has now warned that there are "potentially thousands" of people who are now missing out on this test. Victoria Clare, CEO of Ovacome, told The Sun that these tests can provide women and their family "agency” over treatment plans. “It can give family members who have the gene time to have children sooner if they know they’re going to have preventative surgery,” she said. Those with the BRCA gene can be offered specific treatment plans if it is detected through this test. The findings from this study were presented at the British Gynaecological Cancer Society Annual Scientific Meeting in July.

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