Early-Warning Biomarker Discovery in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Early-Warning Biomarker Discovery in the High Grade Serous sub-type of Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma.
IRAS ID
190964
Contact name
Paul Mullan
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Northern Ireland Biobank, NIB13:0094
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynaecological cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women. The five-year survival rate is ≈40% and is largely unchanged over the last three decades. Despite new therapeutic agents and improved surgical technique the disease continues to kill one woman every two hours across the UK. High grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and most aggressive form of the disease. It is generally detected too late and this limits successful treatment.
This study will be aligned to existing research, funded by my HSC(NI) PhD Fellowship grant, to assess the potential of new markers of HGSC, as diagnostic blood tests. Clinicians could then utilise these to improve earlier detection, subsequent earlier treatment, and consequently, increase the survival of women with this devastating disease.
The study will involve running the standard-of-care diagnostic test for ovarian cancer, CA125, on a large cohort of blood samples and comparing these results to the new markers I have already identified. All blood samples will be provided from recognised research tissue banks.
There is a real and urgent need for an accurate early-warning marker of ovarian cancer, in particular the high grade serous type. This study aims to identify such a marker that could be transferred from a discovery study directly to clinical practice, immediately benefitting the female population.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
15/WS/0246
Date of REC Opinion
21 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion