A NSW scientist is trying to develop a new blood test which would help detect ovarian cancer early.
UNSW School of Women’s and Children’s Health’s Dr Kristina Warton is investigating a blood test which would be able identify ovarian cancer based on DNA shed by cancerous tumours found circulating in the bloodstream.
It comes as the disease — which is known as the “silent killer” — continues to claim the lives of 1000 Australian women each year.
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Five year survival rates for the disease are at just 45 per cent.
Unlike other cancers, an early detection test for ovarian cancer does not currently exist which means women are often not diagnosed until they have already reached stage 4 or 5.
Dr Warton said if the blood test is successfully developed it could save lives.
“If you manage to develop an effective test for cancer, that is literally as good as a cure because if you catch the cancer early you can cure it through surgery,” Dr Warton said. “Cervical cancer is a really good example because in countries where the health systems have been able to widely apply the PAP smear, cervical cancer rates have really plummeted. It’s all about diagnosis. If you can find cancer early, it becomes treatable by surgery.”
Dr Warton has been awarded has been awarded a share of $2.8 million funding from the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation to help with her work.
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Monica Tasic, 28, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year after a colleague at work noticed she had abdominal bloating.
Ms Tasic, who is currently waiting to find out if she if officially in remission, told The Daily Telegraph she was very excited about a potential blood test to detect ovarian cancer.
“I was lucky because I was diagnosed at stage 2 which is quite rare,” Ms Tasic, who has raised more than $8000 for ovarian cancer research, said.
“I’m really excited about the test. Obviously it won’t be able to help people like me who already have been diagnosed, but it will be able to help our mums and sisters.”
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This article originally appeared on The Sun and is reproduced with permission.
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