Femtech versus ovarian cancer – an update

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women, with around 7,500 new cases per day.

According to Cancer Research UK statistics, ovarian cancer survival is improving, having almost doubled in the last 40 years. In the 1970s, less than a fifth of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survived their disease beyond ten years, now it’s more than a third.

However, with a range of non-specific symptoms, including feeling full quickly, bloating and stomach pain, it can be hard to diagnose.

In some cases, it can also cause unexplained tiredness or weight loss, or changes in your bowel habit especially if this starts after the age of 50.

However, as technology is constantly evolving to help us detect, treat and cure more diseases than ever before, can femtech helping to continue the fight against ovarian cancer?

Femtech World reports.

Screening

Recent research has led scientists to believe that the cervical screening programme could also be used to screen for both ovarian and breast cancers.

Experts say they may have found tell-tale signatures in these neck-of-the-womb cells linked to other cancers, although further research is needed.

Cells that turn cancerous often show distinctive early changes at the molecular level.

And researchers believe they have found some in smear-test samples that could help identify women at higher risk of specific other cancers, not just of the cervix.

Dr Julie Sharp, from Cancer Research UK, said: “Screening for cervical cancer is already an invaluable tool, so it’s interesting to see if cell samples taken through screening could be used in future to detect other cancers.

“However, we need further research to see how accurate this method is at detecting women with ovarian and breast cancer.

“Like the authors of this research, we look forward to seeing larger trials over longer periods to establish whether cervical cells could diagnose other cancers at an earlier stage.”

The work was funded by The Eve Appeal research charity that hopes to drive improved treatments for gynecological cancers.

Early detection

When diagnosed at its earliest stage, almost all women with ovarian cancer will survive their disease for one year or more, compared with slightly more than one in two people when the disease is diagnosed at the latest stage – highlighting just how important early detection is.

Israeli femtech start-up GinaLife is developing a platform of biomarker strategies, supported by artificial intelligence and data science, for the early detection of problems in women’s health.

It was set up by research scientist Inbal Zafir-Lavie, after her 38-year-old sister died from colorectal cancer, which, due to her young age, remained undiagnosed until it was too late.

GinaLife is currently developing a test that can analyse vaginal fluids, using artificial intelligence and data science to search for specific cancer biomarkers. While it is being tested at first in-clinic, the company envisions one day it will be available for home or remote use, increasing accessibility and potentially saving more lives.

In another early detection breakthrough, Boston-based start-up AOA is developing the first non-invasive ovarian cancer diagnostic liquid biopsy test, which could save the lives of half the women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

That’s because, by the time they are diagnosed, in many cases the cancer has already spread.

AOA’s Akrivis GD is a liquid biopsy test that shows promising results in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer through analysis of tumour marker gangliosides, which can therefore lead to earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment.

Research

University of Arizona researchers have developed a new device to help learn more about ovarian cancer, as well as supporting earlier diagnosis.

The university’s BIO5 Institute Director Jennifer Barton has developed a high-resolution falloposcope, which has a diameter of only 0.8 mm, small enough to image the fallopian tubes – narrow ducts that connect the uterus to the ovaries – and search for signs of early-stage cancer.

Since September last year, human trial, Dr John Heusinkveld has been using the device to image the fallopian tubes of volunteers who are already having their tubes removed for non-cancer reasons. This will allow researchers not only to test the effectiveness of the device, but also to start establishing a baseline of what “normal” fallopian tubes look like.

Researchers believe ovarian cancer usually starts in the fallopian tubes, and many medical professionals recommend that at-risk women have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

However, the procedure pushes women into surgically induced menopause, with side effects including hot flushes, mood swings, and higher risk of heart and bone disease

Barton cited one example of a study in which 122 patients who were known to carry genes that increased their risk for cancer had their fallopian tubes removed as a precaution. Analysis of the tubes later showed that only seven of the women were in the process of developing cancer.