title: Clinical decision making using ovarian cancer risk assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although any adnexal abnormality found at imaging can be concerning for an ovarian malignancy, the clinician must perform an evaluation to decide if the actual likelihood of malignancy justifies the risk of surgery. When determining the likelihood of an asymptomatic, incidental adnexal mass being malignant, the provider must answer one important question: Do the clinical findings warrant the potential morbidity of surgery? This article will focus on the decision making that goes into such an evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A patient's medical history, physical examination, CA-125 level, and imaging characteristics are all factors that impact the ultimate decision of whether a patient can be observed with repeat imaging or should proceed to surgical evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307-5001, USA.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Stany
authors.forename: G Larry
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: G Scott
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010808:Physical Examination; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen