Test developed for ovarian cancer

According to researchers, successfully treating ovarian cancer depends in part on accurately identifying the type of tumour, though this is by no means a straightforward process.

Inaccurate identification can often mean some women are not sent to the right specialist surgeon, or those with a benign cyst may have a more serious operation than they need, the researchers said.

“It’s very important to get the preoperative diagnosis right

Professor Tom Bourne

Now, however, a new test developed by ICL scientists can be used to discriminate between benign and malignant tumours, and identify different types of malignant tumour, with a high level of accuracy.

The test, known as ADNEX, is based on the patient’s clinical information, a simple tumour marker blood test and features that can be identified on an ultrasound scan.

The ADNEX model is designed to discriminate between benign, borderline, stage I invasive, stage II-IV invasive, and secondary metastatic tumours.

Scientists claim doctors could begin utilising the test immediately.

Tom Bourne, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at ICL, said: “It’s very important to get the preoperative diagnosis right. If it isn’t right, the patient might have a more extensive operation than they need, for example having an ovary removed unnecessarily.

“At the moment, the way we assess women with ovarian cysts for the presence of cancer and select treatment lacks accuracy. This new approach to classifying ovarian tumours can help doctors make the right management decisions, which will improve the outcome for women with cancer. It will also reduce the likelihood of women with all types of cysts having excessive or unnecessary treatment that may impact on their fertility.”

To develop the test, researchers used data from 3,506 patients over a period of nine years, looking at which information available before the operation could be used to predict the diagnosis.

They then tested the model on a further 2,403 patients for an additional three years between 2009 and 2012.

A full account of the study has been published in the British Medical Journal.