An observational study in Ovarian Neoplasms, Ovarian Epithelial Carcinoma and Fallopian Tube Neoplasms, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Recruiting at 6 sites in United States. Open to female participants aged 30 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-16.
Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Observational
The study aims to develop a test for early detection of ovarian cancer using DNA from a growth involving the ovary found in a washing of the uterus (womb), and proteins found in the blood. The samples of the wash and the blood will be taken before surgery. After surgery, doctors will determine whether the participant had ovarian cancer or a benign disease of the ovaries. The tests of the washings and the blood will be examined to see how much the participants with ovarian cancer can be separated from the participants with a benign ovarian disease by the tests. Small amounts from the washing and the blood samples will be sent to four sites for analysis.
Statistical analyses of these data will compare tumor DNA found in the washing of the uterus with proteins in the blood to detect cases of ovarian cancer. The primary goal is to find tests that are mostly positive for cases of ovarian cancer and mostly negative for patients with benign disease. It is hoped that if the tests work for participants with symptoms of the disease that these tests will also work when testing women who have no symptoms. A new study would be needed to see if the tests worked in this situation. If the tests work, this could lead to increasing the number of cases detected in early stage disease and decreasing the number of cases detected in late stage disease. If this change in late stage is large, it will likely reduce deaths due to ovarian cancer.
The study aims to elucidate the relative contributions to detection of ovarian cancer from tumor DNA in uterine lavage (UL) and protein biomarkers from blood using newly available detection and sample collection technologies. In this document, the term "ovarian cancer" includes fallopian tube cancer. In the first cohort, the study will enroll 200 participants. Enrolling participants prior to surgical diagnosis (e.g. laparoscopy or paracentesis) ensures the study will be "Prospective Collection of Samples, Blinded Evaluation" (PRoBE) compliant. The expectation is that \~50 of these participants will have pathologically confirmed ovarian cancer. In a second cohort, 50 participants will be enrolled. Based on published reports, it is expected that \~5 participants will have microscopic or low volume ovarian cancer. In each cohort, the participants with a pathologic invasive epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis will be defined as Cases and participants without any ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal cancer (PPC), or other cancer identified due to the surgery, will be defined as Controls. Other cancer groups are: (i) PPC, (ii) non-invasive serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) lesions, (iii) non-epithelial ovarian cancers, and (iv) non-ovarian cancers.
Two sites will sequence DNA obtained from uterine lavages to detect tumor-derived DNA (tDNA): one will carry out Duplex Sequencing of TP53 and the second site will carry out Haloplex sequencing of an 18-gene panel. Two other sites will assay serum proteins: the first will use clinical grade assays for CA125 and HE4, and the second will use research grade assays for these two proteins plus four additional protein biomarker candidates. Statistical analyses of these data will evaluate the relative utility of tDNA and plasma proteins to detect Cases (sensitivity) while limiting detection of Controls (specificity) in these two cohorts. Remaining DNA from UL and blood based biospecimens in form of plasma, serum, and buffy coat will be stored at a biorepository at NCI Frederick for future biomarker investigations which include (but are not limited to) other methods of detecting tDNA from UL, tDNA from plasma, exosomal markers, and additional blood-based and UL biomarker candidates.
Primary objectives:
Outline: Participants undergo two blood draws (one required, one optional) up to 31 days before surgery and a uterine lavage at the time of planned surgery. The tDNA and serum proteins are then extracted from the samples and sent for analysis.
2,695 studies on the registry are indexed under Ovarian Neoplasms; 727 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 250 is above the median of 200 across 527 observational studies indexed under Ovarian Neoplasms.
Browse Ovarian Neoplasms studies →Massachusetts General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,536 studies on the registry; 446 are open to participants now.
Of its 214 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 161 (75%) have results posted.
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Cohorts will be selected from patients scheduled for ovarian disorder-related surgeries across six sites: Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Luminis Health System in Annapolis, Maryland; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland; Kaiser Permanente - San Francisco in San Francisco, California; the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington; and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Exclusion Criteria:
200 participants scheduled for surgery for suspected ovarian cancer due to a pelvic mass but without a confirmed tissue or cytology diagnosis.
Diagnostic Test: Uterine lavage, or a wash of the womb · Diagnostic Test: Blood sample · Diagnostic Test: Pap smear
50 participants with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 deleterious mutation without suspected ovarian cancers who are scheduled for risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) to remove ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Diagnostic Test: Uterine lavage, or a wash of the womb · Diagnostic Test: Blood sample · Diagnostic Test: Pap smear
Uterine lavage is performed during surgery using a flexible, 3-way balloon tipped catheter. The catheter is inserted through the cervix, the balloon expanded and the uterine cavity lavaged using 10 cc of sterile saline which is collected, processed and stored for later analysis.
Participants undergo two blood draws (one required, one optional) up to 31 days before surgery
Participants undergo a standard Papanicolaou smear to collect cells and fluid from the cervix.
Genomic biomarkers assessing mutations and methylation of tumor DNA, and protein biomarkers measured as the concentration of a protein in pg/mL, both types of biomarkers measured in the collected biospecimens.
Biomarkers that distinguish between ovarian cancer and benign ovarian disease
Time frame: From enrollment through to pathology results post-surgery (usually same day)
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data is not anticipated to be shared.
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