The study group consisted of women who had ovarian cancer symptoms and were being screened in primary care practices.
But these types of patients are likely to have already visited a healthcare professional.
Such a mass could be a benign cyst or could be cancerous.
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More research on the use of a test for HE4 levels is needed.
There isnt enough evidence currently to suggest that it would be useful in this way.
Our study has only evaluated the marker in symptomatic women as a diagnostic tool.
Will This Test Be Useful?
Experts caution against putting too much stock in a new ovarian cancer diagnostic test at this stage.
Its important to view the results in the context of the patients researchers ran the tests on.
In fact, researchers found high HE4 levels in several hundred patients over age 50 who didnothave ovarian cancer.
2018;319(6):588-594. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.21926
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Ovarian cancer: frequently asked questions.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.
American Cancer Society.Cancer facts & figures 2022.
