A common blood test used by medical professionals to detect ovarian cancer may miss the type of cancer in Black and Native American patients, according to a new study.
Supported by the National Cancer Institute and published in the JAMA Network Open, the study investigated the abilities of the CA-125 test. The test is usually administered during early evaluations to detect a tumor marker in the blood, identifying cancerous lumps for specialized treatments by cancer professionals.
As part of the study, researchers looked at data from more than 200,000 women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer from 2004 and 2020 in part through a CA-125 blood test. In their findings, Black and Native Americans were found to be 23% less likely to have the recorded CA-125 level needed to receive an ovarian cancer diagnosis despite having the cancer.
In turn, they were less likely to receive treatment at the earliest stage possible, starting chemotherapy an average of nine days later that those diagnosed with ovarian cancer through the CA-125 blood test.
Currently, Black women have the lowest survival rate for this type of cancer. To address the disparities, researchers of the study are aiming to lower the threshold for the blood test.
“If we have worse performance in certain groups, then we may be further contributing to disparities in referral, disparities in treatment, and ultimately we may be contributing to the lower survival in Black women with ovarian cancer,” said lead author Dr. Anna Jo Smith per ABC News. “New thresholds for referral will ensure that all patients get in for rapid care when ovarian cancer is suspected.”
Overall, per the AJMC, the survival rate for ovarian cancer remains at 51%. For Black women, however, the rate is lower than all other demographics, remaining at a consistent 42%.
Contributing factors include the fact that Black women are often diagnosed at late stages, particularly after beginning menopause and late into the cancer’s development. Per a 2023 study by the National Institute of Health, globally, Black women have more cases where they are either undertreated or untreated, resulting in “shorter disease-free survival.”
Symptoms of ovarian cancer include irregular bowel movements, bleeding, bloating and discomfort in the pelvic area, abdomen and the lower back.
