Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women – around 7300 women in the UK are diagnosed with it each year. The disease often isn’t recognised until it has already spread, and even after successful treatment, there is a high risk of the cancer returning. Ovarian cancer bounces back in 85 per cent of women who undergo surgery, and only half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive for five years or more.

Ovarian cancer is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, the results of blood tests for raised levels CA125 – a protein often found on the surface of ovarian cancer – and ultrasound scans. Developing more accurate ways to diagnose the disease is a major research focus.

A team at University College London has shown that the disease can be detected in its early stages by looking for the tell-tale DNA fragments that ovarian tumours leak into the bloodstream. They say the blood test has the potential to be used in population-wide screening for ovarian cancer. This may help prevent premature deaths, since ovarian cancer has a 90 per cent cure rate if it is found early and removed before it spreads.

Other research is exploring whether a smear test for cervical cancer can detect ovarian and endometrial cancers. A smear test, also known as a Pap test, uses a brush to collect cells from the cervix. These are studied under the microscope to look for cancerous changes or tested for the presence of human papillomavirus, ​which can sometimes lead to cervical cancer. The Pap brush also picks up cancer cells that have shed from the ovaries and endometrium and pooled at the cervix. Researchers identified these cells by looking for cancer-related mutations in 18 key genes. In one study, over half the cases detected were early cancers.

Cancer vaccines have shown promise as a treatment for ovarian cancer in clinical trials. Many of these vaccines are designed to train the body’s immune system to recognise particular molecules that are often present in cancer cells, but this can fail because tumours vary between different people. Lilian Anekwe