Doctors at the Hutchinson Cancer Research center gave a questionnaire to high risk women asking about frequency of abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, and appetite. They say it has helped identify 80 percent of early stage tumors. Without early detection, many patients lost treatment options.
"It's frequently a bad diagnosis, often it's found too late and when it's found late chances of a cure are poor," said Dr. Robyn Anderson, Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
More than 15,000 women die from ovarian cancer each year. Researchers believe the screening questionnaire can improve survival rates.
