Overview

• University College London Hospitals has launched the Roca surveillance service for women with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations, becoming the first NHS trust in England to do so.
• The rollout is being delivered with the North Central London Cancer Alliance and GENinCode, and clinicians are calling for national commissioning and central laboratory processing to ensure equal access and consistent results.
• Roca analyzes each woman’s CA125 blood levels over time alongside age and menopausal status to detect concerning rises within normal lab ranges and trigger scans and clinical review.
• Clinicians cite studies reporting that testing every four months can halve diagnoses at advanced stage, providing the evidence base for implementation.
• NHS guidance still favors preventive removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes, which causes early menopause and ends fertility, but some patients plan to use surveillance to delay surgery.