Toward ovarian cancer screening with protein biomarkers using dried, self-sampled cervico-vaginal fluid

Abstract

Early detection is key for increased survival in ovarian cancer, but no general screening program exists today due to lack of biomarkers and overall cost versus benefit over traditional clinical methods. Here, we used dried cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) as sampling matrix coupled with mass spectrometry for detection of protein biomarkers. We find that self-collected CVF on paper cards yields robust results and is suitable for high-throughput proteomics. Artificial intelligence-based methods were used to identify an 11-protein panel that separates cases from controls. In validation data, the panel achieved a sensitivity of 0.97 (95% CI 0.91-1.00) at a specificity of 0.67 (0.40-0.87). Analyses of samples collected prior to development of symptoms indicate that the panel is informative also of future risk of disease. Dried CVF is used in cervical cancer screening, and our results opens the possibility for a screening program also for ovarian cancer, based on self-collected CVF samples.