Blood test for ovarian cancer

[sweetcindy]

Accurate Test Finds Ovarian Cancer

Identifies All Women in Treatable Early Stage By Michael Smith , MD

WebMD Medical News




Feb. 8, 2002 -- Researchers have discovered a blood test that can detect ovarian cancer with close to 100% accuracy. This potential breakthrough could identify women early in the disease and save thousands of lives.


Every year, ovarian cancer affects about 23,000 women and kills 14,000, according to the American Cancer Society. But in 80% of women, the cancer isn't found until it has progressed to an advanced stage. At this point, only 35% of women are expected to be alive five years after being diagnosed.


But if the cancer can be found at an early stage, the number of women that survive five or more years jumps to 90%. And most women at this stage can be cured with just surgery alone -- avoiding the difficult rounds of chemotherapy.


Therefore, if researchers can find a way to identify women at an early stage, more women could survive this disease. It appears that they have done just that.


Lead researcher Emanuel F. Petricoin III and colleagues first looked at 50 women with ovarian cancer and 50 women without it. Using advanced technology, they identified a pattern of proteins in the blood that could accurately distinguish between those with ovarian cancer and those without.


Then they looked at 116 samples of blood -- 50 from women with ovarian cancer and 66 from women without cancer. The blood test identified every woman with ovarian cancer with 100% accuracy. The blood test was also effective at determining which women did not have cancer -- but the test did indicate cancer in three women who did not have he disease.


This means that the test would indicate ovarian cancer in 5% of women when they, in fact, would not have it.


Today's standard test is accurate in detecting advanced ovarian cancer, but it only picks up early cancers 50%-60% of the time.


Not only did the new test identify all of the women with ovarian cancer, it was good enough to find 100% of the women with early-stage disease.


The test isn't ready for immediate use. It has to go through clinical trials and wouldn't be available for several years. Further research needs to confirm these initial findings and determine which women would benefit from the test.

[LocaChica]

Very interesting. I hope it's available sooner than expected. Much, much less intrusive.

[mccbridge]

I hope it gets a approval fast. My mom was one of women who had ovarian cancer For the life of the doctors they could not figure out what was wrong with her, after hundreds of blood tests, cat scans they finally had to cut her open and they found she did have ovarian cancer. After very harsh chemo and radiation, I am proud to say that my mom is one of the 35% that has survived

[devlina2u]

Originally posted by mccbridge
I hope it gets a approval fast. My mom was one of women who had ovarian cancer For the life of the doctors they could not figure out what was wrong with her, after hundreds of blood tests, cat scans they finally had to cut her open and they found she did have ovarian cancer. After very harsh chemo and radiation, I am proud to say that my mom is one of the 35% that has survived

WOW!! I am so happy that your mom did good!! My mom passed away

I have heard that there is some test called CA-125 which can tell if you have ovarian cancer in the early stages. Don't know how far its true.

[sweetcindy]

Glad to hear your Mom is ok now! It can be so scary when the doctor can't figure out what is wrong but you just know something is not right.

This test would be such a wonderful tool, I hope it gets approval quickly as well.

[sweetcindy]

Originally posted by devlina2u


WOW!! I am so happy that your mom did good!! My mom passed away

I have heard that there is some test called CA-125 which can tell if you have ovarian cancer in the early stages. Don't know how far its true.

Oh.....I am sorry Dev.

[devlina2u]

Originally posted by sweetcindy
Oh.....I am sorry Dev.

Thanks Cindy ....its been a while but I stil remember like it was yesterday......feels like a nightmare

Thanks for posting the article...I am constantly on the lookout for articles on cancer.

[lauseng]

I don't remember the name of it, but I had a blood test done about 6 months ago that was supposed to detect some hormonal levels or something indicative of cancer. Everything was normal, but when they cut me open to take out my cyst, they still looked all around at both ovaries and my uterus to be sure.....after promising me a one inch incision that turned into a 6 inch one. (MEN! I swear they can't measure.)

I wish this more accurate test had been around then.

Jackie

[mccbridge]

I have heard that there is some test called CA-125 which can tell if you have ovarian cancer in the early stages. Don't know how far its true.

1st off dev let me say how sorry I am for you about your mother I know how hard it can be when a parent passes away. My dad passed away almost 6 years ago. It is all a blur for me know--like you said a nightmare!

My mom actually took that ca-125 test and it showed that there was no cancer. That is why they kept on going through test after test . I think maybe for some people it does work that I have heard.

[kat]

They just finished up one of the trials for this blood test in our local hospital (smaller hospitals are good places for this - they can easily get enough of us to go in for a test over a year).

Even though ovarian cancer has not been in my family (to my knowledge - but there is 1/4 of my family tree that I know nothing about), I took the test. It was easy, and I was happy to see that it came back as negative. As a precaution, and to check the effectiveness of test, they also did a far more evasive scope & scraping - ugh, not so fun but at least it confirmed the findings of the blood test.

[mccbridge]

Even though ovarian cancer has not been in my family

Our family either. The doctors had made the comment after all is said and done that they never thought it was that because there is was no family history.

that is neat that you got to be in that trial. Gives you a peace of mind.