Multivariate Index Assay Research Articles

Serum miRNA improves the accuracy of a multivariate index assay for triage of an adnexal mass

ObjectiveTo determine whether a multimodal assay combining serum microRNA with protein biomarkers and metadata improves triage assessment of an adnexal mass. MethodsSerum samples from 468 training subjects (191 cancer cases and 277 benign adnexal mass controls or healthy controls) were analyzed for seven protein biomarkers and 180 miRNA. Circulating analyte data were combined with age and menopausal status (metadata) into a neural network model to classify samples as cases or controls. Forward regression with ten-fold cross-validation minimized the dimensionality of the model while maximizing linear separation between cases and controls. Model validation proceeded using both internal (44 cases and 56 controls) and external validation sets (51 cases and 59 controls). ResultsThe total study population comprised 678 subjects, including 286 cases and 392 controls. Overall, 290 (43%) of the subjects were premenopausal. A panel of 10 miRNA delivered optimal performance when combined with protein and metadata features. The combined model improved the Receiver Operator Characteristic Area Under the Curve (ROC AUC) on the internal (AUC = 0.9; 95% CI 0.81–0.95) and external validation sets (AUC = 0.95; 95% CI 0.90–0.98) compared to miRNA alone or proteins plus metadata (without miRNA). On external validation, the combined model offered 92% sensitivity at 80% specificity overall, with 80% and 100% sensitivity for early and late-stage cancers, respectively, including 78% sensitivity for early-stage, serous ovarian cancers and 82% sensitivity for early-stage, non-serous cancers. ConclusionsA multimodal assay combining miRNA with protein biomarkers, age, and menopausal status improves surgical triage of an adnexal mass.

Neural network-derived multivariate index assay demonstrates effective clinical performance in longitudinal monitoring of ovarian cancer risk

ObjectiveWe recently characterized the clinical performance of a multivariate index assay (MIA3G) to assess ovarian cancer risk for adnexal masses at initial presentation. This study evaluated how MIA3G varies when applied longitudinally to monitor risk during clinical follow-up. MethodThe study evaluated women presenting with adnexal masses from eleven centers across the US. Patients received an initial blood draw at enrollment and at the standard-of-care follow-up visits. MIA3G was determined for all visits but physicians did not have access to MIA3G scores to determine clinical management. The primary outcome was the relative change value (RCV) of MIA3G over the period of clinical observation. ResultsA total of 510 patients of 785 enrolled met study criteria. Of these, 30.8% had a second, 25.4% a third and 22.2% a fourth blood draw following initial collection. The median duration from initial draw was 131 d to second draw, 301.5 d to the third draw and 365.5 d to the fourth draw. MIA3G RCV of >50% was observed in 22–26% patients, whereas 70–75% patients had MIA3G RCV >5%. An empirical baseline RCV of 56% – transformed to 1 in logarithmic scale – was calculated from averaging RCVs of all patients who had no malignancy risk after 210 days. RCV > 1 log was associated with higher incidence of surgical intervention (29.6%) compared to RCV < 1 log (16.9%). ConclusionsVariation in MI3AG does not change the accuracy of the test for excluding malignancy, while marked changes may be associated with a slightly higher likelihood of surgical intervention. In addition to MIA3G score itself, the MIA3G RCV may be important for clinical management.

Ovarian Cancer surgical consideration is markedly improved by the neural network powered-MIA3G multivariate index assay.

Surgery remains the main treatment option for an adnexal mass suspicious of ovarian cancer. The malignancy rate is, however, only 10-15% in women undergoing surgery. This results in a high number of unnecessary surgeries. A surveillance-based approach is recommended to form the basis for surgical referrals. We have previously reported the clinical performance of MIA3G, a deep neural network-based algorithm, for assessing ovarian cancer risk. In this study, we show that MIA3G markedly improves the surgical selection for women presenting with adnexal masses. MIA3G employs seven serum biomarkers, patient age, and menopausal status. Serum samples were collected from 785 women (IQR: 39-55 years) across 12 centers that presented with adnexal masses. MIA3G risk scores were calculated for all subjects in this cohort. Physicians had no access to the MIA3G risk score when deciding upon a surgical referral. The performance of MIA3G for surgery referral was compared to clinical and surgical outcomes. MIA3G was also tested in an independent cohort comprising 29 women across 14 study sites, in which the physicians had access to and utilized MIA3G prior to surgical consideration. When compared to the actual number of surgeries (n = 207), referrals based on the MIA3G score would have reduced surgeries by 62% (n = 79). The reduction was higher in premenopausal patients (77%) and in patients ≤55 years old (70%). In addition, a 431% improvement in malignancy prediction would have been observed if physicians had utilized MIA3G scores for surgery selection. The accuracy of MIA3G referral was 90.00% (CI 87.89-92.11), while only 9.18% accuracy was observed when the MIA3G score was not used. These results were corroborated in an independent multi-site study of 29 patients in which the physicians utilized MIA3G in surgical consideration. The surgery reduction was 87% in this cohort. Moreover, the accuracy and concordance of MIA3G in this independent cohort were each 96.55%. These findings demonstrate that MIA3G markedly augments the physician's decisions for surgical intervention and improves malignancy prediction in women presenting with adnexal masses. MIA3G utilization as a clinical diagnostic tool might help reduce unnecessary surgeries.

A multisite study to develop and validate first trimester, circulating microparticle biomarkers for tiered risk stratification of spontaneous preterm birth in nulliparas

BackgroundDespite much research, advances in early prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) has been slow. The evolving field of circulating microparticle (CMP) biology may identify novel blood-based, and clinically useful, biomarkers. ObjectiveTo test the ability of a previously identified, 7-marker set of CMP-derived proteins from the first trimester of pregnancy, in the form of an in vitro diagnostic multivariate index assay (IVDMIA), to stratify pregnant patients according to their risk for sPTB. Study DesignWe employed a previously validated set of CMP protein biomarkers, utilizing mass spectrometry assays and a nested case-control design in a subset of participants from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be (nuMoM2b). We evaluated these biomarkers in the form of an IVDMIA to predict risk for sPTB at different gestational ages. Plasma samples collected at 9- to 13-weeks’ gestation were analyzed. The IVDMIA assigned subjects to one of three sPTB risk categories: low risk (LR), moderate risk (MR), or high risk (HR). Independent validation on a set-aside set confirmed the IVDMIA’s performance in risk stratification. ResultsSamples from 400 participants from the nuMoM2b cohort were used for the study; of these, 160 delivered <37 weeks and 240 delivered at term. Through Monte Carlo simulation in which the validation results were adjusted based on actual weekly sPTB incidence rates in the nuMoM2b cohort, the IVDMIA stratifications demonstrated statistically significant differences among the risk groups in time-to-event (birth) analysis (p < 0.0001). The incidence-rate adjusted cumulative risks of sPTB at ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation were 0.4%, 1.6%, and 7.5%, respectively for the LR, MR, and HR groups, respectively. Compared to the LR group, the corresponding risk ratios (RR) of the IVDMIA assigned MR and HR group were 4.25 (95% CI 2.2 to 7.9) and 19.92 (95% CI 10.4 to 37.4), respectively. ConclusionA first trimester CMP protein biomarker panel can be used to stratify risk for sPTB at different gestational ages. Such a multi-tiered stratification tool could be used to assess risk early in pregnancy to enable timely clinical management and interventions, and, ultimately, to enable the development of tailored care pathways for sPTB prevention.

Diagnostic biomarkers in ovarian cancer: advances beyond CA125 and HE4.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynaecologic malignancy, attributed to its insidious growth, non-specific symptoms and late presentation. Unfortunately, current screening modalities are inadequate at detecting OC and many lack the appropriate specificity and sensitivity that is desired from a screening test. Nearly 70% of cases are diagnosed at stage III or IV with poor 5-year overall survival. Therefore, the development of a sensitive and specific biomarker for early diagnosis and screening for OC is of utmost importance. Currently, diagnosis is guided by CA125, the patient's menopausal status and imaging features on ultrasound scan. However, emerging evidence suggests that a combination of CA125 and HE4 (another serum biomarker) and patient characteristics in a multivariate index assay may provide a higher specificity and sensitivity than either CA125 and HE4 alone in the early detection of OC. Other attempts at combining various serum biomarkers into one multivariate index assay such as OVA1, ROMA and Overa have all shown promise. However, significant barriers exist before these biomarkers can be implemented in clinical practice. This article aims to provide an up-to-date review of potential biomarkers for screening and early diagnosis of OC which may have the potential to transform its diagnostic landscape.

Multivariate index assay (MIA3G) to reduce preventive surgery for ovarian cancer.

e17607 Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) – most lethal gynecologic malignancy - is rare among women with adnexal mass. Preventive adnexal surgery is a common practice, despite pathology confirming malignancy in only 10-15% of these cases. This motivates a surveillance-based clinical management paradigm to prognosticate the risk for malignancy and channel appropriately for surgery. We recently developed a multivariate index assay -MIA3G[1] - to assess risk for OC in women with adnexal mass. In a multi-center prospective surveillance trial, we assessed the concordance between preventive surgery and clinical management using MIA3G. Methods: MIA3G risk prediction uses a DNN algorithm which models 7 serum biomarkers (CA125, HE4, BM2, APO, FSH, TFR, PreAlbumin), age and menopausal status. With NPV of 99.7% (CI:99.2–99.9) it risk stratifies patients into low probability of malignancy or indeterminate. Across 11 centers, the MIA3G cohort comprised of 546 women (IQR:41-61yo) with symptomatic or asymptomatic masses and/or presence of HBOC variants. Serial blood draws were timed with clinic-visits and the ultimate one coincident with surgery. The objectives were: 1) prognosticate the MIA3G based preventive surgery pool and 2) establish concordance between the MIA3G probabilistic risk and the pathology-based outcome of malignancy versus benign. Results: In the study cohort of 546 patients, 20.3% (111) underwent preventive surgery. Conservatively, at a 12.8% FPR[1], MIA3G would have stratified approximately 70 patients, a projection of 37% less for surgery. Partitioning by clinical characteristic: (i) symptomatic: In comparison to 27.8% (73/263) of patients referred to surgery, MIA3G projections would have resulted in a 54.8%(33/263) reduction. (ii) asymptomatic: 22.5%(31/138) of patients were referred to surgery; MIA3G projections would have resulted in a 45.2% (17/138) reduction. In the 111 preventive surgeries, pathology confirmed a malignancy rate of 6.3% (7/111). The overall concordance of MIA3G with pathology was 84.68% (94/111) which increased to 91.98% (102/111) in the pre-menopausal (PRE) sub-cohort. The malignant discordancy (MIA3G:FN), all in PRE, comprised of early-stage epithelial: endometreoid, Leiomysarcoma and Sertoli-Leydig cell where the masses were characterized as cystic benign/indeterminate by ultrasound. These findings underscore the power of MIA3G when preventive surgery is considered for patients with ovarian cancer risk. Conclusions: The multivariate index assay MIA3G reduces numbers of preventative surgery for ovarian cancer risk. The high concordance establishes that MIA3G non-invasive surveillance-based clinical management can be effective for the risk assessment of ovarian cancer in patients presented with adnexal mass. Surgical management should be reserved for high probability of malignancy. [1]: DOI 10.3389/fmed.2023.1102437.

Multivariate index assay MIA3G vs other assessment tools for the ovarian cancer risk assessment of indeterminate masses.

e17609 Background: Estimated 10% of women with adnexal masses will undergo preventive surgery for ovary removal to mitigate malignancy risk. This is significant, compared to the 15% rate of ovarian cancer (OC) confirmed by pathology. On the other hand, a women’s lifetime risk of getting OC is estimated at 1 in 78, with death at 1 in 108. This predicament motivates a surveillance paradigm for assessment of malignancy risk. ROMA (Roche) is a multi-marker assay intended to assess the cancer risk of adnexal masses in women already scheduled for surgery. We recently characterized the clinical performance of MIA3G[1], to assess OC risk for women with adnexal mass clinically characterized as benign or indeterminate. Here we present the comparative analysis for MIA3G and ROMA in a multi-site study. Methods: MIA3G -a 7-biomarker assay with a DNN-based risk prediction algorithm – was tested for clinical management of women (median: 51yo, IQR:41-61) across 11 centers. Data is presented for 206 patients with adnexal mass (286 unique samples), who follow an admix of surgical and clinical management. The continuous MIA3G probabilistic scores and dichotomized risk classification were used for the analyses. The primary objective was to compare MIA3G with ROMA assays. The secondary objective was to validate – via a pair-wise approach – the correlation of the biomarkers, age and menopausal status(MENO) - with the predicted risk stratification. Results: MIA3G stratified 13% [CI:0.096-0.174] and 87% [CI:82.6-90.4] of the 286 samples as indeterminate and low risk of malignancy respectively (p-value&lt;2.2e-16, Welch’s t-test). In comparison, ROMA stratified 11.3% with a high likelihood of finding a malignancy on surgery. In the pre-menopausal sub-cohort MIAG3 risk-stratified only 7% as indeterminates, whereas for ROMA and CA125 the analogous estimates increased to 15% and 20% respectively. For the post-menopausal population, the converse trend was observed. In MIAG3 with increasing risk, the inhibitive effect of APO was signaled (R2:-24%, p:0.0006) and potential implication of iron metabolism was observed in TFR (R2:-31%,p:9.76e-5). B2M indicated inflammation with increasing risk (R2:28%, p:0.052. In addition to being a clinical attribute, MENO status was confirmed with FSH and age (R2 &gt;80%,p&lt;2.2e-16). A strong correlation of risk with HE4 (R2:38%) and CA125 (R2:32%) was observed and a HE4-CA125 pairwise-correlation of &gt;85% confirmed. Additionally, the positive association of PRE with APO( R2 :33%) and negative association with CA125 and HE4 (R2~:-20%) rounded out the comprehensive nature of the MIA3G assay for characterizing the nuanced evolution of the masses. Conclusions: This real-world study established the efficacy of MIA3G as the most clinically validated tool for the risk assessment of ovarian cancer of indeterminate masses. 1: DOI 10.3389/fmed.2023.1102437.

Serial monitoring of ovarian cancer risk in women with adnexal mass.

e17608 Background: Monitoring of ovarian malignancy risk in indeterminate masses is typically done using TVUS and other clinical factors. No biomarkers are available to assist physicians in clinical management of benign or indeterminate adnexal mass either on initial visit or in follow-up. We recently characterized the clinical performance of a deep neural network-derived multivariate index assay (MIA3G) [1] to assess ovarian malignancy risk in retrospective and prospectively collected multi-site clinical studies. Here we present data on MIA3G serial follow-up to monitor ovarian cancer risk in women presented with adnexal mass from the prospective studies. Methods: Data are presented from ongoing multisite clinical studies in which total 924 patients presented with adnexal masses were enrolled. Follow-up visits, scheduled at clinician’s discretion, may have included imaging and blood collection. Specimens were processed for serum and run on a clinical analyzer. MIA3G score from 0-10 was calculated using seven serum biomarkers coupling with patient age and menopausal status based on previously published neural network-based algorithm. MIA3G with NPV of 99.7% (CI:99.2–99.9) was used to risk stratify the patient with an adnexal mass into low probability of malignancy or indeterminate with a validated cut off at 5.0. For this analysis, MIA3G scores were binned into the following Zones: I (0-2.49), II (2.50 -4.99) and II (5.00-10.00). Results: Of 924 enrolled patients, 538 patients had completed clinical and biomarker data on initial study draw. Of these, 145 had at least one follow-up test and 31 had at least two follow-up test. Median duration to first follow-up test was 108 d (~3.6 mon), and median duration to second follow-up test was 272 d (~9.1 mon). Follow-up in 3 MIA3G score zones at the 0 -3.6 and 3.6 - 9.1 mon interval consistently showed 88% patients within zone I remained unchanged, whereas 12% of patients moved to zones II and III. In the 0 - 3.6 mon interval, the median change in MIA3G score from I to II was 2.25 (n = 9, range 0.54 - 3.52) and from I to III was 5.92 (n = 8, range 5.08-7.62 ). In the 3.6 - 9.1 mon testing interval, the median change in MIA3G score from zone I to II was 3.11 (n = 2, range 2.75 to 3.46) and the single patient change from I to III was 6.89. Across both testing intervals, 17%-50% of patients in zone II remain unchanged while approximately 25% patients had score increase to zone III. Importantly, 50% of patients in zone III remained unchanged in the absence of clinical intervention whereas 50% had MIA3G score reduction in association with clinical management. Conclusions: These results indicate that i) the serial follow-up with MIA3G is recommended to monitor the clinical status of the adnexal mass every 3 months, ii) MIA3G score changes of &gt; 2.25 suggest clinical follow-up, and finally iii) the MIA3G is a suitable tool for the effectiveness of clinical management of adnexal mass. [1]: DOI 10.3389/fmed.2023.1102437.

A reflex testing protocol using two multivariate index assays improves the risk assessment for ovarian cancer in patients with an adnexal mass.

Patients with adnexal masses suspicious for malignancy benefit from referral to oncology specialists during presurgical assessment of the mass. OVA1 is a multivariate assay using a five-biomarker panel which offers high overall and early-stage sensitivity. However, OVA1 has a high false-positive rate for benign masses. Overa, a second-generation multivariate index assay was developed to reduce the false-positive rate. The aim of the present study was to use Overa as a reflex for OVA1 and increase specificity. OVA1 cut-off scores were established to place patients into three categories: low, intermediate, and high cancer risk. Samples with intermediate-risk OVA1 scores were reflexed to the Overa and defined as high or low risk. This protocol was tested with 1035 prospectively collected serum samples and validated with an independent prospectively collected sample set (N=207). Thirty-five per cent (359) of samples had intermediate OVA1 scores. Reflexing these to Overa eliminated 58% of the false-positives and improved the overall specificity from 50% to 72%. This finding was confirmed in the independent dataset, in which the specificity increased from 56% to 73%. Reflexing samples with intermediate OVA1 scores significantly decreases the false-positive rate, thereby reducing unnecessary surgical referrals.

Validation of a deep neural network-based algorithm supporting clinical management of adnexal mass.

Conservative management of adnexal mass is warranted when there is imaging-based and clinical evidence of benign characteristics. Malignancy risk is, however, a concern due to the mortality rate of ovarian cancer. Malignancy occurs in 10-15% of adnexal masses that go to surgery, whereas the rate of malignancy is much lower in masses clinically characterized as benign or indeterminate. Additional diagnostic tests could assist conservative management of these patients. Here we report the clinical validation of OvaWatch, a multivariate index assay, with real-world evidence of performance that supports conservative management of adnexal masses. OvaWatch utilizes a previously characterized neural network-based algorithm combining serum biomarkers and clinical covariates and was used to examine malignancy risk in prospective and retrospective samples of patients with an adnexal mass. Retrospective data sets were assembled from previous studies using patients who had adnexal mass and were scheduled for surgery. The prospective study was a multi-center trial of women with adnexal mass as identified on clinical examination and indeterminate or asymptomatic by imaging. The performance to detect ovarian malignancy was evaluated at a previously validated score threshold. In retrospective, low prevalence (N = 1,453, 1.5% malignancy rate) data from patients that received an independent physician assessment of benign, OvaWatch has a sensitivity of 81.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 65.1-92.7] for identifying a histologically confirmed malignancy, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.7%. OvaWatch identified 18/22 malignancies missed by physician assessment. A prospective data set had 501 patients where 106 patients with adnexal mass went for surgery. The prevalence was 2% (10 malignancies). The sensitivity of OvaWatch for malignancy was 40% (95% CI: 16.8-68.7%), and the specificity was 87% (95% CI: 83.7-89.7) when patients were included in the analysis who did not go to surgery and were evaluated as benign. The NPV remained 98.6% (95% CI: 97.0-99.4%). An independent analysis set with a high prevalence (45.8%) the NPV value was 87.8% (95% CI: 95% CI: 75.8-94.3%). OvaWatch demonstrated high NPV across diverse data sets and promises utility as an effective diagnostic test supporting management of suspected benign or indeterminate mass to safely decrease or delay unnecessary surgeries.

Diagnostic Performances of Ultrasound-Based Models for Predicting Malignancy in Patients with Adnexal Masses.

This study compared the diagnostic performance of different ultrasound-based models in discriminating between benign and malignant ovarian masses in a Filipino population. This was a prospective cohort study in women with findings of an ovarian mass on ultrasound. All included patients underwent a physical examination before level III specialist ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluation using the different International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Group’s risk models. Serum CA-125 and a second-generation multivariate index assay (MIA2G) were also determined for all patients. The ovarian imaging and biomarker results were correlated with the histological findings. A total of 260 patients with completed ultrasound, CA-125, MIA2G, and histopathologic results was included in the study. The presence of papillae with blood flow and irregular cyst walls during the ultrasound were significantly associated with a 20-fold (OR: 20.13, CI: 8.69−46.67, p < 0.01) and 10-fold (OR: 10.11, CI: 5.30−19.28, p < 0.01) increase in the likelihood of a malignant lesion, respectively. All individual sonologic procedures performed well in discerning malignant and benign ovarian lesions. IOTA-LR1 showed the highest accuracy (82.6%, 95% CI: 77.5−87%) for identifying ovarian cancer. IOTA-ADNEX showed the highest sensitivity (93.3%, 95% CI: 87.2−97.1%) while IOTA-LR2 exhibited the highest specificity (84.4%, 95% CI: 77.3−90%). Among the different serial test combinations, IOTA-LR1 with MIA2G and IOTA-LR2 with MIA2G showed the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUROC = 0.82). This study showed that all individual ultrasound-based models performed well in discerning malignant and benign ovarian lesions, with IOTA-LR1 exhibiting the highest accuracy.

Improving diagnostic strategies for ovarian cancer in Filipino women using ultrasound imaging and a multivariate index assay

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical performance and overall utility of imaging and biomarker assays in discriminating between benign and malignant ovarian masses in a Filipino population. MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study among Filipino women undergoing assessment for an ovarian mass in a tertiary center. All included patients underwent a physical examination before level III specialist ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluation, multivariate index assay (MIA2G), and surgery for an adnexal mass. Ovarian tumors were classified as high-risk for malignancy based on the International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) – Logistic Regression 2 (LR2) score. The ovarian imaging and biomarker results were correlated with the reference standard: histological findings. ResultsAmong the 379 women with adnexal masses enrolled in this study, 291 were evaluable with ultrasound imaging, biomarker assays, and histopathological results. The risk of malignancy was higher for women classified as high-risk based on IOTA-LR2 (≥10%). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of malignancy were 81.2%, 81%, and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77–0.86) for IOTA-LR2; 77.5%, 66.7%, and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.67–0.77) for CA-125; and 91.3%, 41.2%, and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.62–0.71) for MIA2G. A combination of IOTA-LR2 and MIA2G significantly influenced the diagnostic performance and the result. When MIA2G was combined with IOTA-LR2 in parallel, the sensitivity (94.2%) and NPV (87.7%) increased, but the specificity (37.3%) decreased. When combined with IOTA-LR2 in series, there were fewer false positives, which resulted in improved specificity (85%). ConclusionThis study determined the utility of ovarian imaging and a second-generation multivariate index assay in predicting the risk of ovarian malignancy. IOTA-LR2 and MIA2G were useful in classifying patients with a high risk for ovarian malignancy.

Clinical Performance of a Multivariate Index Assay in Detecting Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer in Filipino Women.

This study evaluated the clinical performance and overall utility of a multivariate index assay in detecting early-stage ovarian cancer in a Filipino population. This is a prospective cohort study among Filipino women undergoing assessment for an ovarian mass in a tertiary center. Patients diagnosed with early-stage ovarian cancer and who underwent a physical examination before level III specialist ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluation, multivariate index assay (MIA2G), and surgery for an adnexal mass were included in this study. Ovarian tumors were classified as high-risk for malignancy based on the IOTA-LR2 score. The ovarian imaging and biomarker results were correlated with the reference standard: surgico-pathologic findings. The MIA2G exhibited the best overall performance among individual classifiers with a sensitivity of 91.7% and NPV of 84.7%, with a concomitant higher sensitivity in early-stage disease, whether as an individual classifier (93.5%) or in serial combination with ultrasound (85.5%). The performance of biomarkers (specificity, positive predictive values, and AUROC) such as MIA2G and CA-125 significantly improved when combined with an ultrasound risk scoring approach (p < 0.01). MIA2G showed a higher sensitivity for detecting lesions among EOC and late-stage ovarian cancers than otherwise. The application of biomarkers for evaluating ovarian masses in our local setting is secondary to ultrasound but adopting multivariate index assays rather than CA-125 would increase the detection of early-stage ovarian cancers regardless of menopausal status. This is most relevant in areas where level III sonographers or gynecologic oncologists are limited and preoperative referrals to these specialists can improve the survival of our patients.

The value of a negative genetic result when triaging an adnexal mass.

e17553 Background: The baseline risk for ovarian cancer in the general population is 1.2%1. However, women with germline variants in ovarian cancer-associated genes can have a much higher baseline risk for ovarian cancer, up to 54%2. Such a difference in baseline risk presents a triaging challenging for physicians when evaluating adnexal masses. It is well known that identifying pathogenic variants in hereditary cancer syndrome genes often leads to changes in care. Less is known about the utility of negative genetic testing results, specifically in the context of adnexal mass assessment. Methods: An observational, prospective study was designed to examine the clinical impact of multivariate index assay (MIA) and germline genetic testing in patients with a known adnexal mass planned for surgery. Inclusion criteria were: female subjects aged 18-65, presence of an adnexal mass, receiving MIA, and consideration of germline genetic testing. Enrolled physicians selected patients under their care that met inclusion criteria and filled out a short survey describing how the results of each test impacted clinical management. This study was considered IRB-exempt as all information was de-identified. Results: 23 patients were enrolled that received both MIA and germline genetic testing. 21 cases had negative genetic testing and two had positive genetic testing. Both patients with positive genetic testing had low-risk MIA results. Both had risk-reduction surgery with benign findings. Three patients had high-risk MIA results with negative genetic results. All patients had a serial monitoring plan of care. Nine patients with low-risk MIA results and negative genetic results proceeded to surgery. No malignancies were reported. Of the 21 patients with negative genetic results, 17 were not immediately planned for surgery. Conclusions: While not reaching statistical significance, there is a strong association between a negative genetic result and non-immediate surgical intervention. While positive genetic testing results may lead to more aggressive, prophylactic surgical management, negative genetic results may support an expectant management approach. Effectively ruling out the most common hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes may provide physicians with useful insight into a patient's baseline risk. [Table: see text]

Advances in biomarker discovery and radiological techniques for early detection of ovarian cancer

Aim: This review investigates recent advances in biomarker discovery and radiological techniques for the early detection of ovarian cancer, emphasizing the significance of early diagnosis in improving patient outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on various biomarkers, including CA125, HE4, and emerging candidates such as circulating tumor DNA and microRNA, alongside radiological imaging techniques such as ultrasound and MRI. The sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers and imaging modalities were analyzed through clinical studies and trials. Results: Current biomarkers like CA125 and HE4 demonstrate varied sensitivities and specificities, with CA125 having low sensitivity in early stages but higher specificity. Radiological techniques provide crucial complementary information, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Novel approaches, such as the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA) and multivariate index assays like OVA1 and ROMA, show promise in enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, potential biomarkers, including glycoforms of CA125, autoantibodies, and methylation changes, have emerged as significant candidates for further research. Conclusion: While significant progress has been made in biomarker and radiological technique development for ovarian cancer, challenges persist in achieving the ideal sensitivity and specificity for early detection.

Salvaging Detection of Early-Stage Ovarian Malignancies When CA125 Is Not Informative.

Background: Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer, with no recommended screening test to assist with early detection. Cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is a serum biomarker commonly used by clinicians to assess preoperative cancer risk, but it underperforms in premenopausal women, early-stage malignancies, and several histologic subtypes. OVA1 is a multivariate index assay that combines CA125 and four other serum proteins to assess the malignant risk of an adnexal mass. Objective: To evaluate the performance of OVA1 in a cohort of patients with low-risk serum CA125 values. Study Design: We analyzed patient data from previous collections (N = 2305, prevalence = 4.5%) where CA125 levels were at or below 67 units/milliliter (U/mL) for pre-menopausal women and 35 U/mL for post-menopausal women. We compare the performance of OVA1 to CA125 in classifying the risk of malignancy in this cohort, including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. Results: The overall sensitivity of OVA1 in patients with a low-risk serum CA125 was 59% with a false-positive rate of 30%. OVA1 detected over 50% of ovarian malignancies in premenopausal women despite a low-risk serum CA125. OVA1 also correctly identified 63% of early-stage cancers missed by CA125. The most common epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes in the study population were mucinous (25%) and serous (23%) carcinomas. Despite a low-risk CA125, OVA1 successfully detected 83% of serous, 58% of mucinous, and 50% of clear cell ovarian cancers. Conclusions: As a standalone test, CA125 misses a significant number of ovarian malignancies that can be detected by OVA1. This is particularly important for premenopausal women and early-stage cancers, which have a much better long-term survival than late-stage malignancies. Using OVA1 in the setting of a normal serum CA125 can help identify at-risk ovarian tumors for referral to a gynecologic oncologist, potentially improving overall survival.

Determining a reliable strategy for the prediction of ovarian cancer: serial versus parallel testing with a multivariate index assay

<h3>Objectives:</h3> The objectives of this study were to evaluate ovarian masses across multiple imaging models in series and in parallel with a second-generation multivariate index assay (MIA2G), and to develop a reliable protocol for ovarian malignancy risk stratification. <h3>Methods:</h3> This is an ongoing randomized controlled trial in Filipino women with ovarian masses in the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital. A comprehensive analysis was performed between various imaging risk classifier methods: IOTA (International Ovarian Tumor Analysis) - Simple Rules, IOTA - LR1, IOTA LR - 2, IOTA-Adnex, Sassone, and Lerner; and a biochemical algorithm: MIA2G (OVERA). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and correct classification rate in classifying benign or malignant lesions were computed, as well as their interval estimates. The histopathologic findings served as the ‘gold' standard or variable that represented ‘true' presence of disease. Individual screening performances were assessed using parallel testing between the MIA2G (with conventional cut-off at 5.0) and various imaging risk classifier methods. However, based on previous local data, a higher cut-off at 7.0 was observed such that an additional analysis with the adjusted cut-off was also computed. Similarly, these diagnostic criteria were evaluated in series with the imaging tests followed by the MIA2G at both cut offs (5.0 and 7.0). <h3>Results:</h3> There were 410 tumors identified from 343 women included in the study. Around 20% (67/343) had bilateral masses and only 72% (246/343) of women had histopathologic findings available. The observed study prevalence of women with confirmed malignancy was 31.5% (108/343, 26.6 to 36.7%) and much higher than the expected prevalence of the general population. The MIA2G was noted to be high-risk in 73% (251/343) of all the evaluable subjects using the traditional cut-off at greater than 5.0; but at a higher cut-off of 7.0, this resulted in only 40% (138/343) being classified as high-risk. The individual imaging test sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values calculated showed that the optimal imaging methods were IOTA-LR1, IOTA-LR2 and IOTA-Simple Rules, but the latter had a significant number of inconclusive results. When combined with imaging models in parallel, the conventional MIA2G cut-off (5.0), was noted to perform poorer than the adjusted cut-off (7.0). On the other hand, serial testing showed higher accuracy for imaging tests combined with the conventional MIA2G cut off (5.0). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> In this investigation, ultrasound imaging models and MIA2G are complementary and when used in combination, these provide a better understanding of the malignant potential of an ovarian tumor. MIA2G combined with IOTA-LR2 was the most reliable combination. For parallel testing, an adjusted MIA2G cut-off (7.0) increased overall test accuracy and sensitivity. In serial testing, the conventional MIA2G cut-off (5.0) resulted in overall higher test accuracy and specificity. Applied to our local setting, where the choice of imaging model used for pre-operative evaluation will vary according to the health provider's experience in performing such tests and where there are no standard protocols on the use of biochemical assays, inclusion of such findings in practice guidelines will significantly affect malignancy risk stratification and clinical outcome.

Low-risk multivariate index assay scores, physician referral and surgical choices in women with adnexal masses

Objective To assess the use of Multivariate Index Assay (MIA OVA1) by gynecologists and determine referral practices and surgical decision making for women with adnexal masses and low-risk MIA OVA1 scores. Methods Information on patients who received an OVA1 test was collected retrospectively from 22 gynecologic practices through a chart review. Referral patterns were examined for patients with low-risk OVA1 results prior to first surgical intervention. Chart reviews were from a variety of practice and hospital settings representing major geographic regions within the United States. Results A total of 282 independent patient charts were reviewed. Low-risk results were found for 146 patients (52%). Surgery was performed on 82 (56%) patients with low-risk scores. The referral rate to specialty care was 21% (17/82) for low-risk OVA1 patients. Three low-malignant potential tumors were identified in the low-risk patients, with no cases of invasive malignancy. Eighty-six percent of the surgeries performed on low-risk OVA1 patients were minimally invasive. In 44% of the low-risk OVA1 patients, no surgical intervention was performed. Conclusions A high proportion of low-risk OVA1 patients were not referred to a gynecologic oncologist prior to surgery, indicating gynecologists may use MIA OVA1 along with clinical and radiographic findings to appropriately retain patients for their care. This practice is safe and may be cost-saving, with patient satisfaction implications.

Improvement in MIA (OVA1) testing for detection of ovarian malignancy

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether reflex testing of multivariate index assay (MIA) OVA1 by MIA2G (Overa) can improve specificity in detection of malignancy in women with adnexal masses. MIA consists of 5 proteins to evaluate risk of malignancy in women with adnexal masses. MIA2G consists of 5 proteins with substitution of 2 different proteins than MIA. Algorithms have been developed and FDA approved for both tests to generate a risk score.

Adnexal mass risk assessment: a multivariate index assay for malignancy risk stratification.

Aims: Adnexal mass risk assessment (AMRA) stratifies patients with adnexal masses, identifying the relatively small number of malignancies from benigns which might take a 'watchful waiting' approach. Methods: AMRA uses seven biomarkers and derived from women with adnexal masses scheduled for surgery. Estimated clinical performance was calculated using fixed prevalence. Results: At 5% prevalence, the high-risk group, 7.9% total, captured 75.9% of invasive malignancies at a positive predictive value of 35.8%. High risk/intermediate risk combined had a sensitivity of 89.7 and 95.6% for pre- and post-menopausal cancers, respectively. The low-risk group, 67.8% total, had an negative predictive value of 99.0%. Conclusion: With highly differentiating risk stratification capability across histological subtypes and stages, AMRA is potentially applicable to patients with adnexal masses to assist deciding whether immediate surgery is recommended.