Women recruited for trial of ‘game-changing’ new tampon that scientists hope could detect ovarian cancer

Scientists hope to detect early signs of ovarian cancer using a potentially game-changing tampon in a new clinical trial.

They will test tissue samples taken from the participants’ ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as vaginal fluid from the sanitary product.

There are around 7,600 new cases of ovarian cancer in the UK each year, but most are diagnosed at a late stage because early symptoms are often confused with other conditions.

Researchers from University Hospital Southampton are recruiting 250 women who carry the ‘Angelina Jolie gene’, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Actress Jolie, who won an Oscar for her role in Girl, Interrupted, had her breasts and ovaries removed after her mother died of ovarian cancer and she learned that she was ‘faulty’ in the BRCA gene.

The Violet study will include patients who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have their reproductive organs removed as part of their treatment, as well as patients who, like Jolie, chose to have those organs removed in advance to reduce the risk of developing tumors.

The consultant medical oncologist and principal investigator of the study, Dr. Jemma Longley said: ‘There is currently no screening program for ovarian cancer and women with recognized genetic mutations such as BRCA may choose to have surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes to reduce their risk of developing the disease.

‘However, this could have significant long-term health effects as it puts young women through surgical menopause.’

Researchers will compare samples from cancer patients to those without the disease and look for changes in both ovarian cancer cells and vaginal fluid.

If Violet is successful, researchers hope to conduct another larger trial of the tampon developed by biotechnology company Daye.

David Constable-Phelps, consultant gynecological oncology surgeon and co-investigator of the study, said: ‘The ability to detect the earliest signs of ovarian cancer with a relatively non-invasive test such as the Daye tampon will be a complete game changer for women with ovarian cancer.

‘Ovarian cancer in its early and late stages often has non-specific symptoms, so the tumor can spread silently to other organs.

‘We are really optimistic that we will find interesting biological signals in the vaginal fluid of women with early-stage tumors, which means more women can expect to recover.

‘This work will pave the way for further translational studies that will allow us to learn more about the biology of these cancers.’

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of The Eve Appeal, which helped fund the study, said: ‘Anyone who has had the BRCA gene altered faces very difficult decisions about their health and family planning.’

He hopes the research will lead to a ‘simple and easy-to-use test’ that can provide personalized information to anyone going through the decision-making process.

She added: ‘This could help them both reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer and catch the cancer in the early stages when it is most treatable.’