Could a simple wash catch ovarian cancer before it spreads?
NCT ID NCT04794322
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing a new way to detect ovarian cancer early. Researchers will take a sample of fluid from the womb (uterine lavage) and a blood sample from 250 women before they have surgery for a suspected ovarian growth. After surgery, they will check whether the woman had cancer or a benign condition. The goal is to see if DNA from the wash and proteins in the blood can accurately tell the difference. If the test works, it might one day help catch ovarian cancer earlier and save lives.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple test that catches ovarian cancer earlier, potentially reducing deaths from the disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase biomarker study, not a treatment trial. The test may not work as well in women without symptoms, and further studies are needed to confirm its accuracy.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
-
About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Apr 2020
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
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.
- Ages
-
30 years and older
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Has intact uterus (no history of uterine ablation, tubal ligation or bilateral salpingectomy) * Cohort 1 (n=200 participants): Women scheduled for surgery or diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected but undiagnosed ovarian/fallopian tube cancer * Cohort 2 (n=50 participants): Known BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carrier scheduled for risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy Exclusion Criteria: * Current tissue or cytology diagnostic procedure positive for ovary cancer or any cancer * Inability to provide informed consent * Age less than 30 years * Inability to obtain the minimum amount of blood * Inability to obtain the minimum amount of uterine lavage sample * At risk if blood were drawn (e.g. hemophilia, serious anemia- Hb less than 8.0 gm/dL) * Prior history of known ovarian or endometrial cancer * Treatment less than 1 year (excluding hormonal therapy) for cancer that spread beyond its origin * History of untreated high-grade cervical dysplasia (CIN3) * History of treated high grade cervical dysplasia (CIN3) with a cytologically abnormal pap smear within the past year. If there is no post treatment Pap smear in the medical record, perform a Pap smear prior to the day of surgery. If this Pap smear is abnormal, the participant is ineligible. * Currently pregnant * Known Lynch syndrome
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Fallopian tube cancer are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
5 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Anne Arundel Health System
RECRUITINGAnnapolis, Maryland, 21401, United States
-
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21218, United States
-
Kaiser Permanente - San Francisco
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94115, United States
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
-
The Swedish Hospital
RECRUITINGSeattle, Washington, 98122, United States
-
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
RECRUITINGLittle Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a Patient's own immune cells fight ovarian cancer?
- Ovarian Cancer's spread: scientists probe abdominal fluid for clues
- Can a pill shrink Hard-to-Treat ovarian tumors?
- Radioactive antibody aims to light up hidden solid tumors
- AI reads tumor slides to match cancer patients with trials
- Can an oral drug that starves tumors help Hard-to-Treat cancers?