Johns Hopkins researchers develop test that could identify aggressive ovarian cancers early.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed an algorithm called "REAL-FAST" to identify high-risk precancerous lesions on the fallopian tubes. These lesions, known as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STICs), are believed to be the main precursors of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), the most common form of ovarian cancer in women. The algorithm identified five distinct groups of precancerous lesions, two of which were identified as potentially aggressive and frequently associated with recurrent HGSC. The researchers used a technique called Repetitive Element AneupLoidy Sequencing System (RealSeqS) to analyze the level of aneuploidy, the presence of missing or extra DNA chromosomes, in STIC versus HGSC and normal-appearing samples. The results showed that STICs had significantly more non-random genetic alterations, even when they appeared structurally normal. The loss of chromosome 17 in STICs offers a potential explanation for the concurrent inactivation of both the TP53 and BRCA1 genes, which are both located on chromosome 17 and are important tumor suppressors involved in the development of HGSC. The REAL-FAST algorithm accurately detected the presence of cancer 95.8% of the time and ruled out cancer where it did not occur 97.1% of the time. The researchers [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Women's Health Weekly is the property of NewsRx and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)