Tampons could help early diagnosis of ovarian cancer
A Southampton-led clinical trial is testing whether a specialist medical tampon could detect the earliest biological warning signs of ovarian cancer, offering hope to women at high genetic risk.
A study launched in Southampton is investigating whether ovarian cancer could be detected earlier using a specially designed medical tampon. The VIOLET trial is being led by Dr Jemma Longley, Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), in partnership with the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University of Southampton’s Centre for Cancer Immunology (all Southampton, UK).
The study will examine whether microscopic biomarkers in vaginal fluid, known as microRNAs, could signal the very earliest stages of ovarian cancer. Researchers will search for changes in microRNAs from tampon, vaginal swab and tissue samples taken from women undergoing preventative surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes. Comparing samples from women without cancer to those with the earliest indications of ovarian cancer could provide evidence for a novel prediction method in the future.
Ovarian cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to detect. Globally, around 324,000 women are diagnosed each year, yet only about 20% of cases are identified early, when treatment is most effective. In the UK and the US, there is currently no national screening program, and women carrying BRCA gene mutations (which significantly increases the likelihood of developing ovarian cancer) often face the difficult choice of risk-reducing surgery, which can trigger early menopause and long-term health effects.
Traditional diagnostic sampling often relies on venous blood draws or cervical swabs, procedures that can deter participation and limit screening frequency. Menstrual blood, however, contains biomarkers reflective of hormonal balance, inflammation and even certain cancers.
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The diagnostic tampons used in the study are supplied by the women’s health biotechnology company, Daye (London, UK), and are embedded with absorbent matrices designed to preserve cellular integrity. The concept is straightforward: if tumor-related signals are shed into vaginal fluid, a tampon, already widely used, accessible and non-invasive, could provide a practical collection method for blood analysis.
“At the moment, the focus of early detection is on blood-based markers. And that puts the onus on the participant or the patient to go and find a health professional to do that blood test. You have to be registered with the GP surgery. You have to make time for that. There’s a lot of women that are very busy these days with jobs and children and things. I wanted to figure out how we could make a screening test that could be done in your own home that was community based and was accessible to all,” explained Longley.
Funded by The Eve Appeal (London, UK) and supported by the Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, the trial is now recruiting women scheduled for risk-reducing surgery at UHS.
If successful, researchers hope the findings could open opportunities for a larger trial, and ultimately a community-based screening test for women at high risk. For a disease often diagnosed too late, even the possibility of an early warning tool marks a significant step forward.
