Study finds blood RNA marker flags ovarian cancer precursor

Researchers at Hoag Family Cancer Institute reported that blood levels of the RNA molecule Tu-Stroma can identify serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), a microscopic precancerous lesion that can precede high-grade serous ovarian cancer and is generally invisible to routine imaging and conventional blood tests. In the study, the test detected STIC in 92.3% of affected women and correctly identified 98.2% of healthy participants; modeling in a high-risk population suggested about 72% of positive results would be accurate, while negative results would be accurate nearly 100% of the time. The findings could eventually help guide prevention decisions, including surgery for people at inherited risk, but the test is not yet established for routine screening, and further research is needed to determine when the signal first appears and how it should be used.