New Blood Test Offers Hope for Ovarian Cancer Treatments

Researchers are working on a new blood test that could help with more precise treatments for ovarian cancer.

Scientists from the University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust believe that these new and intricate tests could even be available at hospitals within the next few years.

As the number of ovarian cancer survivors increase over time, researchers are working to tailor a more standard approach of surgery and chemotherapy treatments to many patients who may be dealing with unique symptoms or issues. 

For their findings, the researchers examined blood samples from patients enrolled in an international trial of bevacizumab--an angiogenesis inhibitor used to slow the growth of new blood vessels that are often used to treat certain types of cancer.

"We are keen to identify predictive biomarkers - measures that can indicate how well a patient will respond to treatment - so we can better target these drugs to patients most likely to benefit," said lead study author and professor Gordon Hayson of the University of Manchester and Honorary Consultant at The Christie, in a news release. "We investigated levels of a range of proteins in patients' pre-treatment blood samples to see if any were associated with improved survival."

The study results revealed that two particular proteins-Ang1 and Tie2-could be used in combination to predict patient response. Along with high levels of Ang1 and low levels of Tie2, they were most likely to benefit from bevacizumab.

However, researchers also found that patients with high levels of both proteins did not benefit from the additional drug.

With future studies, researchers hope to move towards a more individualized treatment plan for those suffering with the health issue.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Clinical Cancer Research.