Australian scientists are one step closer to improving the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, which can spread quickly and is difficult to detect.
A team from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research has been comparing tumour samples from ovarian cancer patients to tissue samples from normal ovaries since 2008.
By scanning the genome, the team has been able to pinpoint changes in the DNA of six specific genes, which they believe could be used to identify ovarian cancer.
Scientists hope the findings, which were published in the journal Cancer Letters on Tuesday, could one day lead to earlier diagnosis.
"In the future high-risk patients, such as post-menopausal women, would actually be able to go in for a yearly blood test and we would be able to pick up these changes in the DNA," researcher Brian Gloss told AAP.
"The idea would be that on a screening basis we would be able to pick up early disease before it spreads."
Mr Gloss said the biggest problem with the gynaecological disease, which is the seventh most common cause of cancer death in Australian women, was that it was very difficult to spot, with ubiquitous symptoms that include bloating or abdominal pain.
Once it has invaded the pelvis and other organs, including the stomach, bowel and lungs, it is often very difficult to treat.
"We haven't been able to improve significantly on the survival of ovarian cancer patients for a while," he said.
The findings will now materialise in general practice for some time but Mr Gloss said he hoped the team could expand the study and eventually begin clinical trials.
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