FDA says current ovarian cancer tests are unreliable

The Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert for women and physicians stating current ovarian cancer screenings for asymptomatic women are inaccurate and unreliable, and there is no safe and effective test.

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The agency recommends against using current tests to screen for the disease and relying on the test results to make treatment decisions. Instead, the FDA recommends women talk with their physicians about ways to decrease ovarian cancer risk and for physicians to refrain from using the tests. In addition, the agency said physicians should refer women at high risk for ovarian cancer to genetic counselors or gynecologic oncologists. 

Current screenings may lead to false positives and unnecessary treatment, or false negatives and delayed treatment, the alert said. 

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