New blood test detects early-stage ovarian cancer

An experimental blood test shows high accuracy in detecting early-stage ovarian cancer, even in patients with vague symptoms that often lead to misdiagnosis using currently available methods. Researchers reported these findings in the journal Cancer Research Communications, as cited by Reuters.

Why it matters

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women. The main challenge is that the disease is diagnosed late—only after it has spread through the body, when treatment becomes significantly more difficult. More than 90% of early-stage patients experience symptoms that are easily mistaken for more harmless conditions, such as bloating, abdominal pain, and digestive issues.

How the test works

Until now, there were no reliable blood tests for the early detection of the disease. Furthermore, existing invasive methods often miss stage I and II tumors. The new approach utilizes machine learning tools to identify multiple biomarkers from various processes in the body. These are combined into a single test capable of detecting all subtypes of ovarian cancer at all stages.

Study results

In a study conducted at a major medical center involving nearly 400 women with symptoms suggestive of ovarian cancer, the test demonstrated:

• 92% accuracy in identifying patients with ovarian cancer (at any stage);
• 88% accuracy in detecting the disease in stages I and II.

What lies ahead

Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO of the developer company AOA Dx (Denver, Colorado), states that the test can help facilitate faster and more informed decisions in what is a difficult diagnostic process for women.