There are no effective screening tools for ovarian cancer, which is often found at late-stage. The most common and aggressive ovarian cancer subtype begins in the fallopian tubes before spreading to the ovaries and peritoneal cavity. This work will assess whether a catheter that collects images and a fluid sample from the fallopian tubes can detect early-stage ovarian cancers.
My work has previously showed that optical imaging can detect early cancers in surgically resected fallopian tubes; now I aim to test the feasibility and safety of this device in advanced-stage cancer patients immediately before their surgery. This study will be the first time this device is tested in people.
While the patient is asleep, the catheter will be inserted through the uterus into the fallopian tubes where images and fluid samples (‘lavage’) will be collected. The fluid sample will be genetically sequenced to detect mutations associated with ovarian cancers. After surgical removal, the fallopian tubes will be imaged again with prototype catheters to guide development of future devices.
If successful, this approach has potential to enable earlier diagnosis, aid surgical decision making, and provide more care pathways for patients.