A recent ovarian tumor index to hel...

A recent ovarian tumor index to help physicians accurately diagnose ovarian tumors as cancerous or benign has been lay opened by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSMC) Dallas. The index may interrupt unnecessary surgical procedures in thousands of women

Diagnosing ovarian cancer is difficult, and physicians frequently recommend surgery regardless of whether they are secure the tumor is malignant or benign. Many women who have ovarian tumors discover their tumors were benign after this aggressive treatment. Researchers evolveed the index by evaluating characteristics of malignant and nonmalignant masses within real-time ultrasound and flow and structural measurements, and by way of checking vessel location in 304 women The greatest in quantity definitive characteristic, however, was the patient's age. A logical correlation existed between the patient's age and the chance of malignancy--younger patients were more likely than older patients to have benign tumors.

Of the 304 participants, 244 had follow-up care at UTSMC Of those patients, 214 were diagnosed with noncancerous masses, and 30 had cancerous neoplasms. Researchers set up that larger vascular tumors with abnormal appearances were more likely to give an account of malignant disease.

This index is united method of interpreting a webwork set of ultrasound findings that will assist physicians to plan more trials procedures, or other clinical management. If the index indicates a benign mass the patient may have a a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of less traumatic procedure (eg, laparoscopy). Index information also may help physicians decide whether to perform surgery or belong the patient to an oncologist.

Tumor Index for Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer (pres release, Dallas: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dec 24 1999) 1-2 Available from http://www .newswisecom/articles/1999/12/OVARIAN2.SWM.html. Accessed 21 Jan 2000

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