Sylvester Researchers Recruiting Healthy Postmenopausal Women for Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Study

Often referred to as the “silent killer,” ovarian cancer does not become symptomatic for many women until a late stage of the disease. So any advance that shifts detection earlier, and allows physicians to intervene when survival remains potentially longer, can be welcome news.

Brian M. Slomovitz, M.D., co-leader of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Gynecologic Cancers Site Disease Group and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues are conducting a study to look at the well-studied CA 125 biomarker for ovarian cancer in a whole new way.

“It’s not ovarian cancer that kills; it’s advance stage ovarian cancer that kills,” Slomovitz said. “Survival for women with Stage 1 or 2 disease is 90 to 95 percent … compared to an overall survival of 30 to 40 percent.”

Investigators on most previous studies assessed the presence or absence of ovarian cancer based on a one-time CA 125 blood test. “What’s different about this study is instead of looking at it at one point in time, we’re using women as their own baseline,” Slomovitz said. “We will compare their CA 125 changes over time.”

In addition to earlier detection, if their algorithm demonstrates an increase in survival, Slomovitz said, “the hope is this eventually becomes part of the standard of care for normal, healthy women.”

Potential study candidates include:

• Postmenopausal women (at least one year since last period)
• Ages 50 to 74 years
• No cancer treatment in previous 12 months
• Women with at least one ovary
• People with a health care provider who provides annual well-woman exams

The majority of women accepted to the study are expected to have normal CA 125 values, Slomovitz said. These participants will be asked to return in one year for a follow-up blood test. Based on potentially elevated baseline CA 125 levels, investigators may ask some women to come in every three months. “Rarely, perhaps one to two percent of the time, they will be referred to a gynecologic oncologist for an ultrasound and evaluation for possible surgery,” Slomovitz said.

The National Cancer Institute’s Early Detection Research Network funds the study.

To refer a patient or learn more about the trial, please e-mail [email protected] or call (305) 243-7194.

Tags: CA125, clinical trial, ovarian cancer, slomovitz