Late stage of ovarian cancer

A simple finger prick and a drop Of blood to test for ovarian cancer? Most women would shout, "Sign me up!"

The Food and Drug Administration and National Cancer Institute are researching this advanced technology in hopes that early detection will reduce ovarian cancer deaths. More than 80 percent of these ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage, leading to a mere 20 percent survival rate after five years.

Early diagnosis could lead to a 95 percent survival rate. Using a combination of proteomics (studying the specific proteins within a cell) and specialized computer programming, researchers were able to correctly identify 50 out of 50 ovarian cancer victims from blood samples alone.

Clinical trials are due to start by the end of this summer. Call 800/422-6237.