Could a New Blood Test Detect Ovarian Cancer?

A new method of testing for ovarian cancer could eventually help more patients be detected earlier. Because ovarian cancer’s symptoms are often not readily apparent until the disease is advance, it’s known as the “silent killer.” New tests would help save lives, particularly those that aid with early detection. Here’s more information about the new test:

“A simple blood test for ovarian cancer which detected tumour cells in four out of five patients could be available next year.

The test was further refined for use in seven patients, detecting all cases of ovarian cancer, according to results from the Medical University of Vienna.

The detection rate is superior to current methods used to monitor women at inherited risk of ovarian cancer, including a blood marker test that has a reliability rate as low as 50 per cent for early stage disease.

Blood samples are analysed in a cell separation device called Parsortix, which picks up cancer cells and also harvests them so they can be analysed to determine the best treatment for the patient.

UK charities said the results were ‘encouraging’ and could eventually lead to earlier diagnosis through screening of high-risk women.

Ovarian cancer is known as the ‘silent killer’ because women are often diagnosed too late for a cure.

Ovarian cancer affects almost 7,000 women a year and kills more than 4,000 women - claiming the lives of over 85 per cent of patients if found at a late stage when it has spread to other parts of the body.

In a new pilot study, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2015 in Philadelphia, the test picked up cancer cells in 80 per cent of 42 patients with ovarian cancer.

After the test was refined 100 per cent of cancers were picked up in seven ovarian cancer patients.

Experts hope the test will assist women – like Angelina Jolie - at high risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer because of inherited BRCA gene defects.

At present some opt for preventive surgery with removal of the breasts and ovaries to reduce the risk, but close monitoring using a blood test might provide an alternative.

The university researchers presented the case of a high risk patient who carried BRCA gene mutations.”

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Can Delayed Pregnancy Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk?

According to a new study, giving birth later in life could help reduce ovarian cancer risks. This may conflict with earlier findings that giving birth more often is also correlated with having a low risk of ovarian cancer. The study shows that women who give birth in their mid-30s or later may have a lowered risk of developing ovarian cancer, and that women’s risk may decrease over time. The study says:

“The researchers found that each five-year increase in a woman's age at the birth of her first child corresponded to a 16 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer. So, for example, women who gave birth to their first child at age 35 or later had a 46 percent decrease in their risk of ovarian cancer compared with women who gave birth to their first child when they were younger than 20.

The findings held even after the researchers took into account other factors that could affect a woman's risk of ovarian cancer, such as the total number of babies she has had and her use of oral contraception. [5 Things Women Should Know About Ovarian Cancer]

Previous studies have found that women who give birth to more children are at lower risk for ovarian cancer. One hypothesis for the link is that, during pregnancy, women stop ovulating, or releasing an egg each month. Regular ovulation is thought to increase the risk of ovarian cancer because it damages the lining of the ovaries, so the ovary cells need to be repaired frequently, which can increase the chance for cancer-causing changes to occur.

But the new findings suggest that there are factors other than the stopping of ovulation during pregnancy that reduce ovarian cancer risk, said study researcher Alice Lee, a doctoral student at the University of Southern California, who presented the findings here this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"The fact that the timing [of the pregnancy] matters kind of shows there's a little bit more to this" link between ovulation and ovarian cancer," Lee told Live Science.

It's not exactly clear why the timing of birth matters for protection against ovarian cancer. But when women are pregnant, they experience an increase in levels of the hormone progesterone, which triggers some cells to self-destruct. Because older women have accumulated more damage to the cells that line the ovaries, a later first pregnancy could clear more of this damage.

"If you have a later age at first birth, you essentially are able to clear more of the malignancy-transformed cells," Lee said.

It's too early to say whether the findings are "good news" for women who delay pregnancy, as an increasing number of women are doing. More research is needed to replicate the findings, Lee said.”

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Ovarian Cancer Support Online

When a friend or loved one has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it can be hard to know where to turn. Though you and your friends and family are rallying around your loved one, the battle against ovarian cancer can still sometimes feel like a lonely one. Joining up with others who are going through the same struggles can help provide inspiration, tips, and well-wishes for you.

Fortunately, much of the world is connected through the Internet, so it’s easier than ever to find support through a new means - online. Internet support groups and forums are a great place to gather, learn more about ovarian cancer, share your thoughts and feelings, and generally be part of a warm community.

Here are just a few of the ovarian support groups out there if you or your loved one is in need of some additional support:

CancerCare.org’s 15-Week Online Support Group

Strength for Caring - An online group for caregivers.

Inspire.com

Association of Cancer Online Resources

Daily Strength

Bald Is Beautiful

Friends of Mel

Share Cancer Support

Look Good Feel Better - A program for helping cancer patients look and feel good, even during treatment.

Ovarian Cancer Support Group

While we still hope that someday, ovarian cancer will be eradicated, the fact is that today, many people need support. If you feel in need of a kind word, a supportive friend, or even a place to vent, an online ovarian cancer support group could be just what you need. Consider one of these groups if you’re in need of support.