New test could help more women beat ‘silent killer’

A new test for ovarian cancer is urgently needed,  because many women are missing out on a potentially life-saving treatment for ovarian cancer at present, says University of Auckland Professor Andrew Shelling. 

A new type of drug – PARP inhibitors - work “extremely well” for some women with ovarian cancer, says Shelling, who is Director of Research at the University’s Centre for Cancer Research.

Some PARP inhibitors, such as Olaparib, are available through the public health system. However, current genetic tests to gauge whether a patient would benefit from the drug cost thousands of dollars, so the tests remain available only for the few who can afford them privately.

“Olaparib is not being well directed to patients in New Zealand.

“A lot of women are getting the drug, who will have no benefit, and others are not getting it who could benefit.

“Up until now, it has been that if you could afford genetic tests, you could get the drug,” Shelling says.

The research team hopes to develop a more affordable test that is widely available through the public health system.

The team is led by University of Auckland immunologist Dr Alicia Disbury, mentored by Shelling and biological sciences Professor Rod Dunbar, and includes Auckland Hospital clinical director for cancer and blood research Dr Michelle Wilson.

“It’s so exciting to be working on a test that could help women with ovarian cancer access this treatment more easily, because in the past, about 60 to 70 percent of women with ovarian cancer died within five years,” says Shelling, who has been studying ovarian cancer for more than 30 years.

“We’re seeing really good outcomes with the new treatment in a small sub-set of women, without the toxicity associated with chemotherapy.”

About one in 70 women develop ovarian cancer, according to international research.

“Ovarian cancer has been referred to as a silent killer," says Shelling. “Often women don’t know they’ve got it until it has spread through their body.

“A large tumour can grow in the ovaries without any signs or symptoms, so ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late." .

The Precision Medicine Initiative granted $100,000 earlier this year for the team to develop a new multi-colour immunohistochemistry panel to identify women with ovarian cancer who would benefit from PARP inhibitor treatment.

The researchers are now applying for overseas funding for the project.

The existing genetic test might not work as well for Māori and Pacific women, so the new test will be developed to ensure equity of care in New Zealand, Shelling says.