Early Ovarian Cancer Can Be Detected By A Simple Test

Presence of ovarian cancer can be detected in patients using Pap test samples, which are already used to detect cervical cancer.

Presence of ovarian cancer can be detected in patients using Pap test samples, as per a study at the University of Minnesota Medical School, study, published in the journal Clinical Proteomics.

Generally, Pap tests are used to detect cervical cancer. Since more than 13,700 women are estimated to be killed by ovarian cancer in 2021 as per the American Cancer Society, the team utilized a pap test for diagnosing ovarian cancer.

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‘Presence of ovarian cancer can be detected in patients using Pap test samples, which are already used to detect cervical cancer. This helps detect ovarian cancer at an early stage thereby planning the treatment options.’

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that affects the ovaries – egg-producing female reproductive organ. It is usually diagnosed at a later stage which makes the treatment options very limited.

"It is known as a 'silent killer' since women with early stages of ovarian cancer have symptoms that can often be confused with other ailments. Women are typically diagnosed when cancer has progressed so far that other organs are involved, requiring major surgery and chemotherapy. We set out to identify the proteins present in Pap test samples and cervical swabs to determine whether or not the same proteins are present in ovarian cancer tumor tissues", says Amy Skubitz, Ph.D., senior author of the study and professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Director of the Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program at the U of M Medical School.

The study employed pap test and swab samples that contained more than 2,000 proteins that were similar to those found in the primary tumor of a woman with high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

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These proteins were found in all three sample types collected. This suggests the potential of the proteins as biomarker candidates. Pap test samples, which are already used to detect cervical cancer, may eventually be used to detect ovarian cancer.

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"This study is proof of concept that these biospecimens, the Pap test and a swab of the cervix, could be developed for use in the detection of ovarian cancer biomarkers before surgery, but it does warrant further investigation. Our next step will be to use quantitative mass spectrometry to determine if these proteins or peptides are detected at higher levels in ovarian cancer Pap tests or swabs compared to controls. Their presence alone is not sufficient for diagnosis", says Skubitz, who is also a member of the Masonic Cancer Center.

The study also aims in utilization of this method as a self-administered, at-home test, so that the swabs can be collected by women at home followed by transfer to a central laboratory for analysis of proteins that would help diagnose ovarian cancer.

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Source-Medindia