Developed a diagnostic test for ovarian cancer that could detect the disease earlier than current methods, thus increasing patients' chances of survival. This is the result of a study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. It is a test based on seven chemicals present in uterine fluid that has passed the main tool currently in use for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, a disease that is usually detected late and is often fatal. The fact is that epithelial ovarian cancer is asymptomatic for most of its course, so when you go to a doctor the cancer has already reached an advanced stage, difficult to treat.
Currently, a blood test is used to diagnose ovarian cancer to look for a protein called CA125, but it does not always reliably detect the disease. To develop a better test, Peking University's Pan Wang research team collected uterine fluid from 219 women with cancer, some with early-stage ovarian cancer, others with advanced ovarian cancer, and still others with benign ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Uterine fluid contains cells and metabolic products, or metabolites, from the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Using ad hoc chemical instruments (mass spectrometers), the researchers examined the fluid of 96 women to look for metabolites whose levels were clearly distinct for those with early-stage ovarian cancer. Experts have identified a group of seven substances, including the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine, that could be used for early detection. Then they analyzed the fluids of the remaining 123 women for these seven metabolites and also performed the classic CA125 test. The new test accurately identified most women with early-stage ovarian cancer and was much more effective than the CA125 test at diagnosing ovarian cancer at an earlier stage.
The results are promising, but the test needs to be validated in a larger group of people, comparing the presence and concentration profile of the seven substances even in healthy women to rule out the risk of false positives.
