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January 15, 2008
Scientists Seek 'Biomarker' For Detecting Ovarian Cancer
Topics: Medical Science News
Ovarian cancer usually happens in women over age 50, but it can also affect younger women. Its cause is unknown and it is hard to detect early, with many women having no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat. Clearly, the sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better one's chance for recovery, but until now, there has not been an effective means for detecting this "silent killer." However, scientists at the University of Guelph say they are developing a means of detecting Ovarian cancer in its early stages, a breakthrough that could save thousands of lives annually:
Dr. Jim Petrik, a biomedical science professor at the university, and his colleagues are creating a "biomarker" to identify the presence of the disease.More ..."Ovarian cancer has been termed the silent killer because it progresses without any appreciable symptoms until it is at a very advanced stage," Dr. Petrik said. "The really frustrating thing is that ovarian cancer, in its early stages, is a very treatable disease."
n the diseased mice, as well as in humans, a particular protein, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), is secreted when cancer cells interact with the ovary.
"The protein is secreted in such high amounts that it is detectable in elevated levels in the blood. It potentially will allow us to develop some screening methods to detect the disease earlier," Dr. Petrik said yesterday.
The researchers are assembling a panel of proteins for a screening test because reliable detection may depend on a combination of proteins.
Posted by Richard at January 15, 2008 9:20 AM
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