Elusive ovarian cancer early detection method discovered

By Umaima Arif | Contributor

A study by the University of Minnesota Medical School has discovered a promising method of detecting ovarian cancer in earlier stages than formerly possible using Pap test samples.

Ovarian cancer is characterized by abnormal cell mutation in the ovaries, leading to the consequent growth of metastatic tumours that may spread throughout the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and hinder daily function as a result. It is one of the most prominent ÔÇ£silentÔÇØ diseases that kills women every year, due to the fact that signs and symptoms are often difficult to detect in the cancerÔÇÖs earlier stages or misinterpreted for other ailments. However, by the time detection and diagnosis of ovarian cancer occurs, it is often too late; most patients have a poor prognosis even after potential chemotherapies and operations.

As of 2021, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 13,700 women may die from the direct effects or complications of ovarian cancer. Currently, there is no confirmed system of early warning for this chronic disease.

A method for cervical cancer screening,  on the other hand, usually involves Papanicolaou tests, or Pap (smear) tests, during which cells of the cervix are scraped away with swabs and examined for potential cancerous growths. This enables possible early detection.

Because the ovaries and cervix are anatomically close to one another, Amy Skubitz, PhD, senior author of the study and professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, stated that: “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.” Dr. Skubitz, who is also the director of the Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program at the U of M Medical School, therefore initiated this study with successful results.

For all three sample types, more than 2,000 of the proteins present in women with cervical cancer were also present in the primary tumour of women with high grade serous ovarian cancer.

Skubtiz states: ÔÇ£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 prior to surgery, but it does warrant further investigation.ÔÇØ

However, because the presence of these proteins alone are not enough to formulate an accurate diagnosis, Skubitz aims for the next steps to include using quantitative mass spectrometry to determine if these proteins are detected in different amounts at different stages of ovarian cancer compared to the control groups. 

Skubitz also hopes that this may open the opportunity for women at home to administer this test themselves as well; swabs can be collected by women at home and sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for a sufficient diagnosis.