For the study, blood samples were collected from 1,229 patients and tested for the protein. Credit: The University of Manchester.

The University of Manchester has announced that a simple new blood test could help quickly diagnose ovarian cancer, particularly in women aged below 50 years, according to research.

Health charity Wellbeing of Women funded the research, which was undertaken by the university along with the University of Birmingham and University of Exeter.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The blood test can be given by general practitioners (GPs) and helps to diagnose ovarian cancer more accurately.

In the study, researchers investigated whether the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), a protein type present in the blood, could help identify ovarian cancer more precisely.

Furthermore, they studied if HE4 can save women from undergoing unnecessary invasive tests and procedures, such as biopsies and physical examinations.

See Also:

For the study, blood samples collected from 1,229 patients for 12 months were tested for the protein and its diagnostic accuracy was investigated alone and along with a test for the CA125 protein.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The researchers concluded that when analysed in combination with the existing CA125 test and within an algorithm, HE4 levels could improve ovarian cancer detection, particularly in women below the age of 50.

The University of Manchester General Practice academic clinical fellow Dr Garth Funston said: “While our results require validation in a much larger sample, these findings are extremely promising.

“We hope our research can contribute to a change in how quickly ovarian cancer is identified. This is especially exciting as there has been little progress over the years towards developing more accurate ovarian cancer testing approaches for use in primary care.”

HE4 was found to be a promising cancer biomarker in previous studies.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for the use of HE4 to monitor remission.