Ovarian cancer is one of most life-threatening cancers in women, in part because it is often found at a late stage. Symptoms may include pain in the lower abdomen, bleeding, weight gain or loss, unexplained back pain and loss of appetite.

Whilst the most commonly recognised risk factor associated with ovarian cancer is advancing age, and particularly in women over the age of 50, women with a “high-risk” family history of ovarian cancer are at increased risk.

Transvaginal ultrasound scanning has proven to be the most promising imaging method for routine screening of ovarian cancer, including blood tests, in an attempt to diagnose disease at the earliest possible stage.