A NEW screening method can detect twice as many cases of ovarian cancer as conventional strategies, according to the latest results from the largest trial of its kind, which involved thousands of North-East women.

The test picks up changes in the concentration of a protein in the blood, which is found in almost all women diagnosed with this type of cancer, and then uses a formula, or algorithm to calculate a women's risk of developing the disease - the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths in women.

Researchers say that their algorithm can pick up 86 per cent of women who have ovarian cancer before they have symptoms.

The news was welcomed by consultant gynaecological oncologist and chief of service for the women and children centre at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Derek Cruickshank.

The trust has been involved in the ovarian cancer screening trial – thought to be the world’s largest - with around 11,000 women locally taking part between 2003 and 2011.

A proportion of women were randomly assigned to be screened using the new algorithm, while two other groups were screened using vaginal ultrasound or not screened at all.

“This is, by far, the biggest trial we’ve been involved in and we received £1.5m funding to take part in this study,” he said.

“The question now is whether this will be adopted as a national screening programme as while these initial results are encouraging, the research team will have to wait until later this year when the mortality data is published to find out whether this approach has demonstrated a survival benefit in these women,” said Mr Cruickshank.

Nationally the trial was led by the University College of London.