Transvaginal ultrasounds, a new screening test, may be able to detect early signs of uterine cancer in asymptomatic, postmenopausal women with over 80 percent accuracy. The study, published in The Lancet, notes the increasing rates of uterine cancer worldwide resulting from increased obesity and decreased fertility. The screening tests for abnormal levels of thickness in the walls of the uterus, correlated with higher levels of endometrial cancer. Nevertheless, the researchers recommend these screenings only for women at high risk of endometrial cancer. The researchers cite the risk of false-positives and the expensiveness and invasiveness of follow up testing as the reason for not offering the test for low-risk women.
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