Ovarian Cancer Test May Miss Black and Native American Patients

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 21, 2025.

By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, March 21, 2025 -- A blood test used to check for ovarian cancer may not work as well for Black and Native American women, a new study suggests.

This could lead to delays in treatment and poorer health outcomes.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at more than 200,000 women with ovarian cancer who took a test called CA-125. This test checks for a tumor marker in the blood that can be a sign of cancer. Doctors often use it to decide if a woman should be sent to a cancer specialist.

Researchers found that Black and Native American patients were 23% less likely to have high levels of CA-125 when diagnosed with ovarian cancer compared to white patients.

That means the test may miss cancer in these groups more often.

"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,” lead author Dr. Anna Jo Smith, an assistant professor of gynecologic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Associated Press.

The test wasn’t originally designed with all groups in mind. Early research from the 1980s shows initial studies were mostly in white populations, which may explain why the test works better for some people than others.

One possible reason for the difference is a harmless genetic trait that’s more common in people with African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern or West Indian ancestry.

The study also found that women who got a false negative result started chemotherapy nine days later than those with high levels.

Smith and her team recently shared new research at a cancer conference suggesting a lower threshold for the test. This new limit is intended to better detect ovarian cancer across all populations.

“New thresholds for referral will ensure that all patients get in for rapid care when ovarian cancer is suspected,” Smith said.

Dr. Shannon Westin of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, who was not part of the study, said this study illustrates why it’s important to study how medical tests work in different racial and ethnic groups.

“This is a perfect example of work that absolutely needed to be stratified based on race and ethnicity,” Westin said, adding that the findings alert doctors that they shouldn’t be totally reassured by a normal test result.

Sources

  • The Associated Press, March 20, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-03-22 06:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords