One reason that ovarian cancer is so deadlyit kills nearly 15,000 women in the U.S. a yearis that its often not detected in its earliest stages. Many women are asymptomatic until its too late. One of the problems has been that scientists have been unable to locate the sites where ovarian tumors originate. But a new study from researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia has shed light on early tumors and precancerous lesions, which may lead to the development of better screening tests.
The researchers examined the ovaries of women with BRCA, mutations that give them a 40 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime, as well as from women who had no known genetic risks. They found that early tumors and precancerous lesions reside in something called inclusion cysts, which fold into the ovary from its surface. "This is the first study giving very strong evidence that a substantial number of ovarian cancers arise in inclusion cysts and that there is indeed a precursor lesion that you can see, put your hands on, and give a name to," says Jeff Boyd, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Fox Chase and lead author on the study, which also involved colleagues at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Using a technique to identify chromosomes called FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization), the researchers could also see that the cells from very early tumors and precursor lesions frequently carried extra chromosomes. This new data adds to the understanding of ovarian tumorsand hopefully will contribute to detecting cancer even in asymptomatic women.
Source: Fox Chase Cancer Center
