Ovarian cancer often presents with non-specific symptoms that are commonly misattributed to other conditions, leading to diagnosis at a late stage. In Canada, patients presenting with symptoms are commonly assessed using a combination of imaging (ultrasound or CT) and a blood test that detects elevated levels of the CA-125 protein. Unfortunately, there are many limitations with these tests. For instance, CT scans have difficulties differentiating between cancer and non-cancer, especially when there’s fluid build-up, which is common in ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, CA-125 levels can be elevated for a variety of reasons not related to cancer (low specificity) and not all women with ovarian cancer will have elevated levels (low sensitivity). There is a clear need for a more specific, more sensitive, and easy-to-implement tool that can improve early detection and lead to improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Mueller and his team have developed a new type of blood test (called “mDETECTov”) that analyzes modifications to DNA that are specific to ovarian cancer. In this study, the team will validate the mDETECTov test in a large number of samples obtained from women diagnosed with high-grade serous and other types of ovarian cancer diagnosed at various stages. They will also run a clinical study with collaborators at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto to determine if the mDETECTov blood test can accurately detect ovarian cancer in 100 women coming into the hospital with suspected disease, and whether it may allow for earlier and more accurate detection compared to currently available tests.