what tests will I have?

Your GP will ask you questions about your symptoms and check your medical history. S/he may do an internal examination to feel for any lumps or swellings.

S/he may then send you to see a specialist doctor (a gynaecologist) at a nearby hospital. There are cancer referral guidelines to help GPs decide who may need to see a specialist, and how quickly.

At hospital, you are likely to have some of these tests:

A blood test to look for a substance called CA125
Most ovarian cancer cells make a chemical called CA125. It gets into the bloodstream and can be found through a blood test. Doctors call this type of chemical a tumour marker. Women with ovarian cancer tend to have a raised level of CA125 in their blood.

Ultrasound scan
This test uses sound waves to build a picture of the inside of the body. You lie on your back while a probe (a device like a microphone) is passed over the abdomen. The sound waves make pictures of the internal organs on a computer screen. Your doctor may want to carry out a transvaginal ultrasound to get a better picture. For this, a probe is placed gently inside the vagina.

Abdominal fluid aspiration
If fluid has built up in your abdomen the doctor may draw off a sample of it through a fine needle. The sample can then be looked at under a microscope, to see if there are signs of cancer.

Chest x-ray
This test is usually performed to make sure that there is no spread of cancer to the lungs.

Computerised tomography (CT or CAT scan)
This is a type of x-ray that creates a three-dimensional picture of the inside of the body. You lie on a couch while it passes through a large, hollow ring.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MR or MRI scan)
The MRI scan uses a magnet and radio waves to create a picture of the inside of the body. You lie on a couch inside a long chamber while the pictures are taken.

For more information about some of these tests, go to our cancer tests section.