Scientists identify key protein that can predict ovarian cancer early!

 Zee Media Bureau

London: Researchers have found a way that could help detect the earliest signs of ovarian cancer that begins in the ovaries.

They have identified an enzyme which is key in making the cancer attacks different parts of the body.

The new findings could not only help detect cancers early, but in some cases would enable doctors to detect a tumour before it becomes cancerous.

The findings showed that levels of a protein called SOX2 are much higher in the fallopian tubes of people with ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer can be undetectable for up to four years and only a third of people with the cancer get an early diagnosis, said Ahmed Ahmed, Professor at the Oxford University.

If detected early enough, the deadly cancer in the ovaries responds well to chemotherapy. However, once it spreads, it becomes resistant to chemotherapy and is far more likely to kill, the researchers said.

Further, SOX2 levels is also higher in some people who are at high risk of developing ovarian cancer such as those with inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

Early treatment hugely improves the odds for patients, so early detection is essential.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done because detecting SOX2 in the fallopian tubes is not an easy task, said the study.

The research has been published in the online journal EbioMedicine.

(With IANS inputs)