Finding ways to detect ovarian cancer early.

American scientists have successfully detected early-stage ovarian cancer through a blood test, paving the way for techniques to identify patients with the disease without surgery.

According to research by scientists at the University of Texas, USA, published on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on August 26, the study was conducted on 4,051 menopausal women over an 11-year period.

Regular blood tests help detect ovarian cancer early. (Source: AP)

Participants underwent regular blood tests to measure levels of CA125 – a protein produced by ovarian tumors, including harmless cysts.

As a result, 83% of women were in the normal risk group and participated in annual blood tests; about 14% were in the intermediate group and had to repeat the tests every 3 months; nearly 3% were in the high-risk group and were required to have an ultrasound and consult a gynecologist.

All four women with the disease in this group had participated in the study for at least three years and had low CA125 levels on their first blood test. However, these levels increased in subsequent tests.

Researchers say the goal of the blood test is to pinpoint tumors when they are still in a treatable stage.

Although ovarian cancer is uncommon, it can be fatal because symptoms are often absent or subtle, making early detection difficult.

Furthermore, given the relatively low incidence of ovarian cancer in women, a screening strategy aimed at minimizing unnecessary surgeries due to false positive values ​​is crucial.

Experts also assess that the two-step strategy for screening ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women has been outstandingly successful in identifying patients with this disease without the need for surgery.

However, researchers are awaiting the results of another study conducted in the UK using a similar algorithm but on a larger scale, involving approximately 200,000 randomly selected participants.

This second study also aimed to determine the potential for reducing mortality in ovarian cancer patients through regular blood testing of CA125 levels.

In addition, scientists are also studying other biomarkers of ovarian cancer. If the research is successful, this method will be applied as a form of screening test for patients.

According to (VNA) - VT