A promising new treatment is emerging for ovarian cancer patients with high levels of Folate Receptor Alpha (FRα) in their tumors. FRα is a biomarker found in both the blood and tumor tissue of ovarian cancer patients, but not in those without the disease. Patients with elevated FRα levels may respond well to a drug called mirvetuximab (more commonly known as Elahere), which is expected to become available to patients in Saskatchewan soon.

To access mirvetuximab, it will be necessary to measure the levels of FRα in patients; however, Saskatchewan currently lacks the infrastructure to conduct this testing. Introducing a new test requires a validation process to ensure it functions properly and provides accurate results. This process involves testing archived patient tissue samples multiple times. Once validated, FRα testing will be available to all ovarian cancer patients in Saskatchewan, enabling those with high levels of FRα to access treatment either through clinical trials or provincial funding.

Through this project, the study team will:

• Clinically validate and implement the FRα antibody test.
• Develop a patient-friendly biomarker report for FRα, in collaboration with patient partners. This report will explain FR α results for all patients, and more importantly, what this test means for the patient’s access to treatment.