Medical tampons could help spot ovarian cancer sooner
Researchers in the UK are testing if medical tampons and swabs can help spot ovarian cancer sooner.
The VIOLET trial, led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with University Hospital Southampton, which is sponsoring and recruiting for the study, aims to enroll around 250 women, including patients already diagnosed with ovarian cancer who are having their ovaries removed and women with BRCA mutations opting for risk-reducing surgery.
How the trial works
Participants use a tampon and swab for samples before having surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Scientists will then compare these samples with tissue from the surgery to look for early signs of cancer.
Game-changing for saving lives
Ovarian cancer is tough to catch early because symptoms are vague, leading most cases to be diagnosed late—about 7,600 women each year in the UK face this.
If VIOLET succeeds, it could make early detection much easier.
As David Constable-Phelps put it, finding these early signals could be "game-changing" for saving lives.