Il ovarian cancer in 2020 it saw 5,200 new diagnoses and 3,200 deaths in Italy: early diagnosis systems based on liquid biopsy would allow us to anticipate the diagnosis of a recurrence of the disease and make it more treatable.
Ovarian cancer: earlier diagnosis with liquid biopsy
This is one of the goals of the project Pink Union of the Humanitas Foundation for Researchwhich will be supported by revenues from the stores of the Reborn of Milan, Monza and Catania.
Today there are 49,800 women living in Italy after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, still too few. In 80% of cases, due to its asymptomatic nature, it is diagnosed latealready advanced or metastatic.
Intercept it at a more initial stage and recognize the different types. Making it more easily treatable are the objectives on which the research projects conducted at Humanitas focus.
“The PARP enzyme inhibitors (Parp-inhibitors) – explains Maurizio D’Incalci, head of the Anticancer Pharmacology Laboratory – have already proven effective in the case of mutations in the BRCA1 and 2 genes. However, recent research shows that they are also potentially effective in other patients”.
To identify who can benefit from it, researchers are developing a minimally invasive system. Handy for the clinician and low cost for the system: the liquid biopsy.
Look for clues in plasma instead of tissue
“The goal – continues D’Incalci – is to detect in blood plasma, rather than in tumor tissue, elements that help to understand if a patient is responding positively to therapy. The study will allow us to validate the diagnostic efficacy of liquid biopsy in combination with radiological examinations. According to preliminary data, this protocol would allow the risk of disease recurrence to be identified about 4-6 months in advance compared to standard methods”.