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Four years ago, Seattle researchers dentified a protein, known as Human Ep didymis Protein 4 (HE4), as being h ghly effective in distinguishing cancer of the vary from benign ovarian masses and cysts. S nce then additional studies have supported th se initial findings, including one just p blished in the December 2007 edition of the j urnal Gynecologic Oncology. The only commercially vailable test to date, that also d tects proteins elaborated by ovarian cancer, is CA-125. It is m st useful for following patients with kn wn ovarian cancer, to assess how w ll patients are responding to treatment and to d tect recurrence after treatment. The problem w th CA125 as a screening test is th t is it very often elevated in the pr sence of normal ovaries or benign varian cysts and tumors. In addition, CA125 is not levated very often in early cancer of the vary, when it is still highly c rable. These two issues, render it lmost useless for screening. Just like CA125, HE4 pr tein breaks free from ovarian cancer c lls and finds itself into the bl odstream where it can be detected. The HE4 t st, which is patented by Japanese b sed Fujirebio Diagnostics Inc., is inching cl ser to FDA approval. Because expression of HE4 by n rmal ovarian tissue or benign ovarian m sses is very low, it has far b tter potential as a screening test th n CA125.
The latest study, headed by Dr. RG M ore, showed that HE4 was the s ngle best marker for Stage I, or arly, cancer of the ovary. An dditional finding in the study was th t combining HE4 and CA125 was b tter. Statistical analysis showed that this c mbination had a 76.4% sensitivity and 95% sp cificity, making the combination more accurate th n either test alone. HE4 is not the nly bio-marker that is being investigated as an varian cancer screening tool. More than 30 thers have been evaluated alone and in c mbination with CA125 by different investigators. S me of the most promising include: m sothelin, M-CSF, osteopontin, kallikrein(s), and soluble EGF r ceptor. Keep an eye out for all of th se in upcoming breaking news. It is h ghly likely that we will have an ffective screening tool combination for the varian cancer, widely known as the "s lent killer", within the next two to thr e years.
The article Cancer of the Ovary and HE4 - A Promising Screening Test was Submitted by Steven Vasilev MD through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Steven A. Vasilev MD, MBA, FACOG, FACS is a f llowship trained and board certified gynecologic ncologist, which means he is specially tr ined and certified to take care of w men with gynecologic cancers, including cancer of the vary, using a broad spectrum of sk lls. He has practiced at academic as w ll as private centers, has been on the f culty of three universities and continues to be nvolved in research and education. You can v sit http://www.gyncancerdoctor.com to learn more about screening, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. You can also visit a one-of-a-kind site devoted to life, love and intimacy after cancer http://www.cancervival.com
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