New Tests on their way for Ovarian Cancer

I know I wrote a lengthy article last week about keeping your ovaries. One of the things that I mentioned is that there will be tests available soon to detect ovarian cancer before it advances into the less treatable later stages.

There was great news in last month's issue of Cancer Research. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a test examining three markers in the blood. Used in conjunction with the existing CA-125 test it was 83% effective at diagnosis early stage ovarian cancer. Not only that, the false positives were reduced from 48% of the time to 6%.

The blood test screens for three different proteins that are unique to those with ovarian cancer. Not only does this allow doctors to diagnose the cancer earlier, but it may eventually lead to a better understanding of how the cancer develops, what causes it and to find the genetic markers that predispose women to this disease. The test still needs more testing with a larger group of test subjects before it will be widely available. More info here.

In other news, the Fox Chase Cancer Center have taken a different tactic for detecting ovarian tumors by searching for indications of hypermethylation of two tumor-supressor genes. I don't fully understand this approach, but because it's not looking for protein markers like the Johns Hopkins test, it seems that it offers yet another front to attack this elusive cancer. This same team used the same approach with detecting prostate cancer and kidney cancer with the same tactics. More info here.

Other encouraging findings include a study out of the University of Southern Florida College of Medicine point to using aspirin to inhibit growth of ovarian cancer. Trials are underway in order to determine if women should be directed to take aspirin to prevent ovarian cancer. More info here.

My hope is that one or more of these tests will be available within a year, even if it's just a limited trial. My confidence is that within the next five years there will be a simple battery of blood tests that women take just like a pap smear to screen for not just ovarian cancer, but other cancers that can be easily treated when found early.

Any questions or feedback? Feel free to email me.

Posted by Elizabeth M. on September 15, 2004 6:38 PM