Tampon test could spot hidden cancers early
NCT ID NCT03538665
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 30, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study explores whether a tampon can collect DNA samples from the vagina to detect endometrial and ovarian cancer early. Researchers will compare tampon samples with tissue and blood from 1,500 women undergoing surgery. The goal is to develop a simple, non-invasive screening tool that could improve early detection and reduce racial disparities in cancer outcomes.
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, at-home tampon-based test for early detection of endometrial and ovarian cancer, potentially saving lives.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study focused on feasibility and sample collection, not yet proving the test works for cancer detection. Results may not apply to all populations.
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
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About 1,700 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2019
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
Individuals \>18 years of age born with female sex organs (uterus, ovaries, including cis-gender female and transmasculine individuals, hereafter referred to as "women") scheduled for hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy at the University of Alabama Birmingham's Division of Gynecologic Oncology or Department of Gynecology.
- Ages
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18 to 99 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Individuals born with female sex organs (uterus, ovaries, including cis-gender female and transmasculine individuals, hereafter referred to as "women") scheduled for hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy at the University of Alabama Birmingham's Division of Gynecologic Oncology or Department of Gynecology * Age \>18 years. We have chosen this age range to include both peri- and postmenopausal women, who are at greatest risk for endometrial cancer. * Ability of study participant to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Women who do not meet this criterion include potential participants who do not speak English or Spanish, or have physical, mental, or emotional problems that prevent them from comprehending the nature of the study. If the potential participant has trouble reading the document, the designated study staff person may read the document to the patient, to include the basic elements of the informed consent document, per 45 CFR §46.116 (a). EXCLUSION CRITERIA: * Women who are pregnant are excluded from gynecologic surgery and are therefore not eligible to participate. * Individuals who were not born with female sex organs at birth (i.e., cis-gender males and transfeminine individuals) are not eligible for this study as they are not at risk for developing endometrial and ovarian cancer.
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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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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