British doctors have made a breakthrough that could eventually pave the way for a national population screening for ovarian cancer.
Researchers have found that women at risk of contracting the terminal illness have high levels of a certain protein in their bodies.
Based on this, the Oxford University team is now developing a test that can be offered to women over the age of 45 every five years.
Women at higher risk for the disease, such as women with a family history of ovarian cancer or at high risk of genetic mutations, may be tested every two years.
Oxford cancer expert Dr. “This could be a magic bullet for early detection of ovarian cancer,” said Mara Artibani.
British doctors have made a breakthrough that could eventually pave the way for a national population screening for ovarian cancer. One patient reported to have benefited from screening is Marion Bradford, 57, from Surrey, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2017.
The protein known as SOX2 is produced in high concentrations in the fallopian tubes when a woman is in the early stages of ovarian cancer.
Researchers are trying to figure out whether a blood test or a Pap smear-like Pap smear is the best way to detect this.
Around 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK. Less than half survive more than five years. More than 4,000 people die from the disease each year.
The outlook is bleak because early symptoms – such as bloating, loss of appetite and the need to go to the bathroom more often – are often mistaken for other health problems, so cases are often not noticed until the cancer has spread throughout the body. body.
The risk of developing ovarian cancer increases significantly from the age of 45 and is more common in women with a family history of the disease. Despite this, the creation of a screening test to detect cancer at an early stage has eluded doctors.
Hopes were dashed last year when a large ovarian cancer screening trial failed. It involved giving women an annual blood test and an ultrasound for another ovarian cancer-related protein called CA125.
Women at higher risk of the disease, such as those with a family history of ovarian cancer or those with high-risk genetic mutations, may be tested every two years (archive photo)
It revealed 40 percent more cancers than current methods — which women are waiting for to be tested when they’re worried about symptoms — but it didn’t reduce deaths because high levels of CA125 aren’t produced until the cancer is advanced.
By comparison, SOX2, the protein discovered by the Oxford team, is an accurate marker even in the early stages of the disease.
Since SOX2 is only found in the fallopian tubes, it is hoped that the test under development will identify an undiscovered chemical “byproduct” bound to the protein that can be seen in the blood or uterine lining.
Once identified, scientists can begin testing a screening tool for it.
‘If this by-product is found in the blood, we schedule a blood test; and if it’s in the uterine lining, we can get a smear,” says Dr. artisan
He added that given SOX2’s accuracy in predicting cancer, the test should only be done every five years for women over 45 years old or every two years for those at risk.
But to implement this test over the next decade, charities say more funding is needed.
“Ovarian cancer research requires much more investment if we have any hope of developing an effective screening tool to detect the disease early,” said Cary Wakefield of Ovarian Cancer Action.
The group says ovarian cancer receives £9m in research funding each year. By comparison, breast cancer takes 55 million pounds.
One patient reported to have benefited from screening is Marion Bradford, 57, from Surrey, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2017.
The former teaching assistant began to feel bloated and tired in 2016 and experienced severe abdominal pain a few months before she was diagnosed.
His concerns were initially dismissed by doctors, as he did not fit the definition of a typical ovarian cancer patient.
“I was told that I was very young and no one in my family had it, so the doctors said the odds of it being cancer were really low,” she says.
But when the pain got worse, Marion requested another appointment and was finally able to undergo an ultrasound and biopsy a few weeks later.
“A Macmillan nurse was waiting in the doctor’s office when I arrived to get the results. I was told that the cancer had spread and that I had to start chemotherapy immediately.
The mother of three received two cycles of chemotherapy after her illness returned in 2020 and is still receiving treatment.
She believes a screening test will save her years of treatment. “I didn’t realize something was wrong until I got really serious,” she says.
“Before I had a hysterectomy, I would go to cervical cancer screening every time and have annual mammograms to detect breast cancer.
“Why isn’t there a way to do the same for ovarian cancer?”
Hospital app gives throat patients a new voice
Hospital patients stuck in breathing tubes and unable to speak will soon be able to communicate using a lip-reading phone app.
The technology is being tested at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in patients who have had a tracheostomy with a machine in which a tube is inserted into their windpipe and helps them breathe.
About one in six people admitted to the NHS’s intensive care units will undergo a tracheostomy.
Many of these patients suffer from respiratory diseases such as Covid that make it difficult to breathe, as well as other serious conditions, including certain tumors or traumatic head injuries.
Patients can be connected to the tube for several days to months. However, although it is often a life-saving procedure, patients have difficulty communicating because they cannot use their vocal cords.
Dr. Intensive care consultant Shondipon Laha, who came up with the idea for the application and led the study, can isolate tracheostomy from patients and affect their care.
“Patients may need a bath, feel pain, or have a specific concern that they want to express, but cannot communicate this to doctors or relatives who come to see them, which can be extremely frustrating.”
Advanced technology hopes to fix this.
To use the app, patients point their smartphone’s camera at their faces. The advanced software reads his lips as he speaks the words and is then displayed on the phone screen where they can be read by doctors and visitors.
Designed by Northern Ireland-based software company Liopa, the app currently recognizes 40 phrases such as “I need to go to the toilet”, “I want to talk to my family” or “I’m feeling sad”.
He hopes to increase the number of sentences the app understands and also allow the patient to speak their word.
Dr. Laha first came up with the idea for the app during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“I was on the ward and there was a patient who had a tracheostomy who was pushing me hard on my back. He was trying to watch the penalty shootout and I was in his way.
“I realized at that moment that it would be helpful to have something that could help these patients talk.”
Studies involving 12 hospital patients in 2019 showed it to be effective and popular.
Dr. “If this goes well, we can expand other NHS trusts across the country,” added Laha.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
