miRPOC - miRNA as biomarkers in early detection and personalized treatment in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is generally diagnosed at late stage, after the disease has spread, and the disease has poor survival. There are no effective early detection strategies, and early disease symptoms are non-specific (e.g., bloating, feeling of fullness). Biomarkers evaluated to date do not outperform the “best available” marker CA125; however, a preliminary study provided evidence that a serum microRNA profile may provide better differentiation between ovarian cancer cases and non-cases than CA125.

This study will provide validation of a microRNA panel for ovarian early detection in serum samples from prospective cohorts and clinical data and biospecimens. The overarching objective is to validate a serologic microRNA panel that, together with CA125, would have sufficient diagnostic discrimination for early-stage disease to be used as a tool that, complementary to imaging, would allow early diagnosis and direction of patients with suspected malignancy to personalized gyn-oncological care.

The project includes five integrated work packages (WPs) among the collaborating centers.