Riverside Cancer Care Network’s oncology clinical research team is excited to announce that it has been selected to participate in the OVERT clinical trial to research the use of non-invasive diagnostic tests to aid in the early detection of Ovarian Cancer. AKIRVIS GD™ is the first non-invasive whole blood test, in development by AOA Dx Inc., to assess the novel set of markers that may determine the likelihood of ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate for gynecological cancers and the cause of approximately 14,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. The current practice leads to an average of nine months between the presentation of signs or symptoms to firm diagnosis of ovarian cancer. During this time the cancer may grow or spread, leading to an estimated 70% of patients diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease.
“Riverside is thrilled to be one of 60 facilities in the nation to be a part of this clinical trial to aid in the detection of early-stage ovarian cancer,” says William Irvin, M.D., Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Riverside Partners in Women’s Health Oncology. “As this particular kind of cancer can grow rapidly and often isn’t detected until later in the disease progression, this clinical trial provides the opportunity for our clinicians to detect cancer at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat.”
Those who are interested in the 5,000-participant clinical trial will complete a comprehensive symptom questionnaire and if selected, patients will give a small whole blood sample for research and then be observed for a 12-month period following blood collection.
“With early detection of ovarian cancer, a patient’s 5-year survival rate is near 90% versus those who were diagnosed at later stages, it can drop to around 30%,” says Kristina Hadley, MSN, RN, Director of Clinical Research at Riverside Cancer Care Network. “We want to give our patients the best chance to live a full and healthy life, and the OVERT Clinical Trial is a great addition to help us fight ovarian cancer.”
Learn more about Riverside’s cancer clinical trial by visiting riversideonline.com/cancercare.