There has been a breakthrough for testing of ovarian cancer in Melbourne which could prevent women having their ovaries removed.
Health experts have developed a new blood test at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research which will help doctors to determine whether a woman has ovarian cancer.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing – keeping you in the loop with the nation’s breaking news as it hits.
The new test will allow for doctors to establish whether a person is suffering from cancer or a non-malignant condition prior to a surgical procedure.
Currently, the only way to detect ovarian cancer is through surgery, with nine out of ten patients discovering they don’t have cancer post-surgery.
Prior to the recent development in genealogical cancer testing, there have been few tools available to accurately diagnose ovarian cancer due to the indistinct symptoms associated with the disease.
Often this means that the cancer is already in an advanced stage by the time it is recognised.
The new blood test is expected to be available in Australia within the next two years.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.