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Developing a Test of Uterine Lavage for the Detection of Ovarian Cancer
Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
Summary
The study aims to develop a test for early detection of ovarian cancer using DNA from a growth involving the ovary found in a washing of the uterus (womb), and proteins found in the blood. The samples of the wash and the blood will be taken before surgery. After surgery, doctors will determine whether the participant had ovarian cancer or a benign disease of the ovaries. The tests of the washings and the blood will be examined to see how much the participants with ovarian cancer can be separated from the participants with a benign ovarian disease by the tests. Small amounts from the washing and the blood samples will be sent to four sites for analysis. Statistical analyses of these data will compare tumor DNA found in the washing of the uterus with proteins in the blood to detect cases of ovarian cancer. The primary goal is to find tests that are mostly positive for cases of ovarian cancer and mostly negative for patients with benign disease. It is hoped that if the tests work for participants with symptoms of the disease that these tests will also work when testing women who have no symptoms. A new study would be needed to see if the tests worked in this situation. If the tests work, this could lead to increasing the number of cases detected in early stage disease and decreasing the number of cases detected in late stage disease. If this change in late stage is large, it will likely reduce deaths due to ovarian cancer.
Official title: Ovarian Cancer Detection by Uterine Lavage DNA and Serum Proteins: a Phase 2 Biomarker Study
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
30 Years - Any
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
250
Start Date
2020-04-13
Completion Date
2028-08-31
Last Updated
2025-09-16
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Uterine lavage, or a wash of the womb
Uterine lavage is performed during surgery using a flexible, 3-way balloon tipped catheter. The catheter is inserted through the cervix, the balloon expanded and the uterine cavity lavaged using 10 cc of sterile saline which is collected, processed and stored for later analysis.
Blood sample
Participants undergo two blood draws (one required, one optional) up to 31 days before surgery
Pap smear
Participants undergo a standard Papanicolaou smear to collect cells and fluid from the cervix.
Locations (6)
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Kaiser Permanente - San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Anne Arundel Health System
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
The Swedish Hospital
Seattle, Washington, United States