UK HealthCare

First Lady Jane Beshear, UK's Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto, and State Legislators Team Up to Encourage Ovarian Cancer Screening

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2011) – As part of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center's Ovarian Cancer Screening Program today summarized results from an ongoing, 24-year research study that show that annual screening continues to detect ovarian cancer at an earlier stage than is possible with a clinical examination.

To draw attention to the importance of screening, Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear joined Kentucky’s female legislators and UK's Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto at today’s announcement. The ladies were also invited to participate in the screening program.

“Women are the primary caretakers in many of our Kentucky families, but they often put their own well-being below that of their children and spouses,” Beshear said. “This program encourages women to take responsibility for their own health which ultimately improves the health of their loved ones.  I commend Dr. van Nagell, the University of Kentucky and our legislators for making women’s health a priority in the Commonwealth.” 

Ovarian cancer is ranked fifth among cancer killers for American women and accounts for more cancer-related deaths than any other gynecological malignancy. When it is detected early, women can be cured with existing treatment methods. However, most women have no symptoms until the disease has progressed into an advanced stage. As the disease progresses, survival rates drop sharply.

Markey's Ovarian Screening Program was initiated in 1987 by Dr. John R. van Nagell, Jr., director of gynecologic oncology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology; the UK College of Medicine; and his colleagues. The goal was to study whether transvaginal sonography (TVS) could be an effective means of early ovarian cancer detection.

So far, more than 200,000 free screening examinations have been provided to more than 37,000 Kentucky women, and women from every county in the state have participated in this program. Through the screenings, 447 ovarian tumors and 76 malignancies have been detected. Currently, screenings are being performed at six locations throughout the state, including Lexington, Elizabethtown, Somerset, Prestonsburg, Maysville and Paducah.

Transvaginal sonography (TVS) is painless, radiation-free, and can be completed in less than 15 minutes. During the examination, a small vaginal probe is used to take a sonographic picture of the ovaries, and to measure ovarian volume. This procedure is able to detect ovarian tumors even when they are too small to be diagnosed during an annual gynecological examination.

“While regular pelvic examinations are important and can detect many other abnormalities, including cervical cancer, they are not effective in detecting ovarian cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages,” van Nagell said. “So far, the study has shown that TVS is a safe and effective way to screen for this deadly disease.”

The Ovarian Cancer Screening program is another example of how UK is working to improve the health of Kentuckians, said UK's Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto.

“So much of what we do is more than the rankings we achieve and the research dollars we receive — it's about the people we touch and the lives we improve," Capilouto said. "Or, in the case of early screenings, save.”

Initial funding for the program came from the Telford Foundation and the Kentucky Extension Homemakers, who have supported it by participating in regular screenings and donating $1 per member annually. Continued funding comes from the Kentucky state legislature and grants.

“All of us at the Ovarian Cancer Screening Program at the UK Markey Cancer Center greatly appreciate the support we have received for this extremely important program,” van Nagell said.

The Ovarian Cancer Screening Program is open to women age 50 or older, or women over the age of 25 who have a family history of ovarian cancer. Screening is free. For more information, call (859) 323-4687 or (800) 766-8279.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399, or allison.perry@uky.edu.