Cancer screening · The Vesey

Catch what's easy to miss.

Ovarian cancer is often called a silent disease because its early symptoms — bloating, pelvic discomfort, feeling full quickly — are easy to mistake for everyday complaints. Most cases are still found at a late stage. Our Ovarian Cancer Screen combines a symptom questionnaire, time with a doctor, a clinical examination, a CA-125 blood test, and an ultrasound scan, so that vague symptoms are assessed properly rather than overlooked.

1 in 56
Lifetime risk of an ovarian cancer diagnosis for women in the UK
82%
Of UK cases are diagnosed in women over 50
95%
Survival rate when diagnosed at the earliest stage

Ovarian cancer is hard to catch, which is exactly why checking matters

Around 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK each year, and it causes more deaths than any other gynaecological cancer. Part of the reason is that its early symptoms — bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, feeling full quickly, and needing to urinate more often — are vague and common to many benign conditions. Only around a third of cases are caught at stage 1 or 2; more than half are found at an advanced stage. The difference this makes is stark: survival at the earliest stage is around 95%, compared to far lower survival once the disease has spread.

  • Often diagnosed late — vague symptoms mean ovarian cancer is easy to miss until it has progressed
  • Age-related risk — around 82% of UK cases occur in women over 50
  • Stage matters enormously — catching it at stage 1 makes survival far more likely than a later-stage diagnosis

What's included — five parts, assessed together

Because no single test reliably catches ovarian cancer alone, your Ovarian Cancer Screen brings your history, a clinical opinion, examination, blood test, and imaging together, so results are read in context rather than in isolation.

Step 1
Symptom questionnaire

A structured history covering your symptoms, their duration, and personal and family risk factors.

Step 2
Time with a doctor

A face-to-face discussion of your history and risk factors, and a chance to ask questions before any examination takes place.

Step 3
Clinical examination

An abdominal and pelvic examination, checking for masses, swelling, or tenderness.

Step 4
CA-125 blood test

A blood test measuring CA-125, a protein that can be raised in ovarian cancer, alongside a range of benign conditions.

Step 5
Ultrasound scan

A transvaginal or pelvic ultrasound to look directly at the ovaries for cysts, masses, or structural changes.

What CA-125 and ultrasound can and can't tell you

CA-125 is useful, but it isn't a stand-alone diagnostic test. It's most informative when read alongside your ultrasound, your symptoms, and your risk factors, not as a single number in isolation.

When combined with ultrasound
~85–90%
Sensitivity in trial settings, meaning most ovarian cancers are flagged by the combination of a raised CA-125 and an abnormal scan.
CA-125 alone
Often raised
By benign causes too — fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic infection, even a normal period can raise it, especially before menopause. A raised result prompts further assessment, not an automatic diagnosis.

Large national trials have shown that testing CA-125 and ultrasound across the general population does not, on its own, reduce deaths from ovarian cancer, which is why there is no national screening programme for it in the UK. Our approach instead combines these tests with your personal history, symptoms, and risk factors, so results are interpreted by a doctor in context, not read as a pass or fail on their own.

What happens with your results

Normal
No abnormality found

Results explained in your report, with guidance on when to seek review if symptoms persist or change.

Indeterminate
Monitoring or further testing

Findings that need a closer look — a repeat CA-125, further imaging, or a follow-up appointment — before a decision is made.

Urgent
Referral to a Gynaecological Oncologist

Findings suspicious for cancer trigger a prompt referral for specialist assessment.

If you're insured or paying privately, this referral happens directly and quickly within the private pathway. If you're not going through private care, we can, with your consent, share the findings with your GP so they can refer you onto the NHS two-week wait (2WW) urgent suspected-cancer pathway.

How to access the Ovarian Cancer Screen

Health insured

Book directly with your policy details. We'll confirm cover and any excess before your appointment.

Self-pay

Book and pay directly for your screen, with results and any onward referral handled privately throughout.

Via your GP

If you'd rather not pay privately for onward care, we'll ask your consent to share results with your GP, who can refer you onto the NHS 2-week wait pathway.

Enquire about the Ovarian Cancer Screen

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