Clarifying Cancer Ultrasound Testing

We are concerned that your article “Concerns Over New Ovarian Cancer Test,” (May 1) may leave readers with the false impression that we seldom use transvaginal ultrasound. Transvaginal ultrasound has been available in the UCLA Department of Radiological Sciences since 1986. Multiple studies, including our own, have shown it to be an excellent technique capable of detecting very small abnormalities. We strongly feel that transvaginal ultrasound is the best way to evaluate the pelvis with ultrasound. It has become our primary approach for investigating a wide variety of suspected gynecologic abnormalities, including ovarian cancer.

That transvaginal ultrasound is useful to screen for ovarian cancer in a large population remains to be seen, however. The role of Doppler ultrasound in detecting ovarian cancer also remains unclear. Until further well-documented and controlled investigations are completed, we feel that the routine screening of women at low risk for ovarian cancer is unwarranted.

EDWARD G. GRANT, MD, RITA R. PERRELLA, MD, NAGESH RAGAVENDRA, MD, FRANKLIN N. TESLER, MD, Department of Radiological Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine