Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 12: A blood test that detects molecular changes preceding ovarian cancer, a promising treatment approach for certain bladder cancer patients and new findings on coffee's effects on digestion are among the latest developments reported in medical research.

Researchers have identified a molecular signal in the blood that could help detect microscopic changes occurring before ovarian cancer develops, potentially offering an opportunity for earlier diagnosis of the disease.

For decades, efforts to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage have focused on identifying smaller tumours. However, the new study, published in Nature Medicine, examined whether molecular warning signs could be detected even before invasive cancer develops.

The research found that women with a precancerous condition known as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), which involves microscopic changes in the lining of the fallopian tubes, had elevated blood levels of an RNA molecule called Tu-Stroma.

When researchers measured Tu-Stroma levels, the test detected STIC in 92.3 per cent of affected women and correctly identified 98.2 per cent of healthy women.

Among women with genetic risk factors for ovarian cancer, approximately 72 per cent of positive results were accurate, while negative results were correct nearly 100 per cent of the time, the researchers reported.

Study leader Rajan Gogna of the Hoag Family Cancer Institute in Newport Beach, California, said the research explored whether the earliest molecular warning signs could be identified before invasive cancer develops.

Co-author Dr Esha Madan said the discovery could eventually help women at high risk make more informed decisions about preventive surgery to remove their fallopian tubes and ovaries.

In another development, a clinical trial has shown promising results for bladder cancer patients who are unable to receive standard chemotherapy before surgery.

The large randomised trial involved nearly 700 patients with tumours that had spread into the muscular wall of the bladder. Researchers examined a combination of AstraZeneca's immunotherapy drug Imfinzi and Padcev, a targeted cancer drug developed by Astellas Pharma and Pfizer.

Patients who received the two-drug combination before bladder removal surgery, followed by immunotherapy, had a 42 per cent lower risk of death than those who underwent surgery alone.

Around 45 per cent of patients who received the combination had no detectable cancer in the tissues removed during surgery, compared with approximately 10 per cent in the surgery-only group.

At the two-year mark, 78 per cent of patients in the treatment group were alive, compared with 69 per cent of those who underwent surgery alone. Around 64 per cent of patients receiving the medicines were free of cancer-related events at two years, against 45 per cent in the surgery-only group.

Study leader Dr Alexandra Drakaki of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said the findings could provide an effective pre-surgery treatment option for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who cannot receive cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Padcev delivers a cancer-killing drug directly to bladder cancer cells by attaching to a protein on their surface, while Imfinzi helps the immune system attack cancer by blocking a protein that tumours use to evade immune detection.

Researchers noted that most patients completed the preoperative treatment, despite a high incidence of severe adverse events. The findings were reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Meanwhile, research from Denmark suggests that regular coffee consumption may be associated with better digestive function.

The study found that frequent coffee drinkers had greater diversity of microorganisms in their gut than people who consumed coffee less often.

Researchers also observed more contractions in the colon among regular coffee drinkers. According to study leader Francesca Bucci of the University of Copenhagen, these contractions can support healthy digestion, help prevent constipation and maintain the condition of intestinal muscles.