OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is epithelial ovarian cancer. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how epithelial ovarian cancer will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 61 year old woman, G1P1, comes to the clinic with abdominal distention and a decreased appetite. She has lost about 12 pounds over the past 3 months unintentionally. She does not take any medications and has received all of the recommended immunizations except for the HPV vaccine. Her family history is notable for her mother who has had BRCA positive ovarian cancer, which she passed away from at the age of 54. The patient’s BMI is 31 kg/m². Imaging reveals the presence of a left sided ovarian mass as well as the accumulation of free peritoneal fluid. Her blood studies are notable for a marked elevation of CA-125. What condition could the patient likely have?
Explanation: post-menopausal age + BRCA2 + ovary mass + ascites (peritoneal fluid/abdominal distention) + weight loss + decreased appetite + CA-125 = epithelial ovarian cancer
Page Updated: 10.29.2016