New cancer screening test

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Some very exciting news in the battle against ovarian cancer. A brand new screening test being developed at the Mitchell Cancer Institute in Mobile, could save literally thousands of lives. Ovarian and endometrial cancers pose a big challenge to the women fighting these diseases. Doctors say because these cancers are basically silent, meaning they don't offer symptoms, they are often not detected until late stages. And, only 15% to 20% of women diagnosed with these advanced-stage cancers beat them. But, doctors say if you compare that to earlier stages of the disease, the survival rates jump to 90%. Which is why a screening test could be vitally important.

Dr. Rod Rocconi is working on this screening test. It works by analyzing proteins. Dr. Rocconi explains, "the test is actually very similar to a pap smear. But, instead of looking at the cells on the cervix, we're looking at protein differences in patients with ovarian cancer or endometrial cancer, compared to patients with benign disease. And, we find that those patients with cancer actually have a significant difference in a panel of proteins." All the cells in our bodies produce proteins. The proteins are basically the mediators of all the cell activity in our bodies. And, as Dr. Rocconi explained, cancer cells produce different proteins, so they would show up in a screen.

Dr. Rocconi says the screening could be done at the same time as an annual exam. It's site-specific, focusing on the reproductive system. The researchers are now in the third-phase of testing, and they are working on getting F.D.A. approval for the screening test. They're hoping that could happen in the next few years. And, Dr. Rocconi says, that could mean thousands of lives saved.

For more information on Dr. Rocconi and his research, click here and here . For more on ovarian and endomtrial cancers, click here or here .