Elevated Galectin-3 levels in the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer - implication of ROS mediated suppression of NK cell antitumor response via tumor-associated neutrophils.

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is a lethal disease with low survival rates for women diagnosed in advanced stages. Current cancer immunotherapies are not efficient in ovarian cancer, and there is therefore a significant need for novel treatment options. The β-galactoside-binding lectin, Galectin-3, is involved in different immune processes and has been associated with poor outcome in various cancer diagnoses.

Identification of Tissue-Resident Natural Killer and T Lymphocytes with Anti-Tumor Properties in Ascites of Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Women with ovarian cancer have limited therapy options, with immunotherapy being unsatisfactory for a large group of patients. Tumor cells spread from the ovary or the fallopian tube into the abdominal cavity, which is commonly accompanied with massive ascites production. The ascites represents a unique peritoneal liquid tumor microenvironment with the presence of both tumor and immune cells, including cytotoxic lymphocytes.

Data-driven analysis of a validated risk score for ovarian cancer identifies clinically distinct patterns during follow-up and treatment.

Background: Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women and due to late detection prognosis is poor with an overall 5-year survival of 30-50%. Novel biomarkers are needed to reduce diagnostic surgery and enable detection of early-stage cancer by population screening. We have previously developed a risk score based on an 11-biomarker plasma protein assay to distinguish benign tumors (cysts) from malignant ovarian cancer in women with adnexal ovarian mass.

Next Generation Plasma Proteomics Identifies High-Precision Biomarker Candidates for Ovarian Cancer.

Background: Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women and has a 5-year survival of only 30-50%. The survival is close to 90% for patients in stage I but only 20% for patients in stage IV. The presently available biomarkers have insufficient sensitivity and specificity for early detection and there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers.

MCM3 is a novel proliferation marker associated with longer survival for patients with tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma.

Tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) are highly proliferative neoplasms that generally respond well to platinum/taxane chemotherapy. We recently identified minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3), which is involved in the initiation of DNA replication and proliferation, as a favorable prognostic marker in HGSC. Our objective was to further validate whether MCM3 mRNA expression and possibly MCM3 protein levels are associated with survival in patients with HGSC.

Consideration should be given to smoking, endometriosis, renal function (eGFR) and age when interpreting CA125 and HE4 in ovarian tumor diagnostics.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of different biologic, histopathologic and lifestyle factors on serum levels of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and Cancer antigen 125 (CA125) in the diagnostic work up of women with an ovarian cyst or pelvic tumor.

Methods: The statistical evaluation was performed on a population of 445 women diagnosed with a benign ovarian disease, included in a large Swedish multicenter trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03193671).

Increased Diagnostic Accuracy of Adnexal Tumors with A Combination of Established Algorithms and Biomarkers.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer. Pre-diagnostic testing lacks sensitivity and specificity, and surgery is often the only way to secure the diagnosis. Exploring new biomarkers is of great importance, but the rationale of combining validated well-established biomarkers and algorithms could be a more effective way forward.

High throughput proteomics identifies a high-accuracy 11 plasma protein biomarker signature for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is usually detected at a late stage and the overall 5-year survival is only 30-40%. Additional means for early detection and improved diagnosis are acutely needed. To search for novel biomarkers, we compared circulating plasma levels of 593 proteins in three cohorts of patients with ovarian cancer and benign tumors, using the proximity extension assay (PEA).

A two-step strategy for identification of plasma protein biomarkers for endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Background: Over 500,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian or endometrial cancer each year. We have used a two-step strategy to identify plasma proteins that could be used to improve the diagnosis of women with an indication of gynecologic tumor and in population screening.

Methods: In the discovery step we screened 441 proteins in plasma using the proximity extension assay (PEA) and five Olink Multiplex assays (CVD II, CVD III, INF I, ONC II, NEU I) in women with ovarian cancer (n = 106), endometrial cancer (n = 74), benign ovarian tumors (n = 150) and healthy population controls (n = 399).

A multicenter clinical trial validating the performance of HE4, CA125, risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm and risk of malignancy index.

Objective: To validate, in a multicenter clinical trial, the performance of biomarkers and algorithms for differential diagnosis in a population of women diagnosed with an unknown ovarian cyst or pelvic tumor.

Methods: Six hospitals in Western Sweden consecutively enrolled 638 women from September 2013 to February 2016. Serum, transvaginal ultrasound data, and basic patient characteristics were collected preoperatively.

Evaluation of liquid from the Papanicolaou test and other liquid biopsies for the detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers.

We report the detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers based on genetic analyses of DNA recovered from the fluids obtained during a routine Papanicolaou (Pap) test. The new test, called PapSEEK, incorporates assays for mutations in 18 genes as well as an assay for aneuploidy. In Pap brush samples from 382 endometrial cancer patients, 81% [95% confidence interval (CI), 77 to 85%] were positive, including 78% of patients with early-stage disease.