A simple blood test that could change ovarian cancer treatment
Thanks to research supported through ANZGOG’s clinical trials network, a new blood test is offering fresh hope for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, helping doctors better identify who is most likely to benefit from life-extending treatment.
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers affecting women. More than 300,000 women are diagnosed globally each year, including around 1,700 in Australia. For many, treatment options are limited, and knowing which therapies will work best for each individual woman remains a critical challenge.
That’s why the results of the SOLACE2 clinical trial are so significant.
This four-year Australian trial, conducted across 15 hospitals, has identified a promising new blood test that could help doctors personalise treatment for women with ovarian cancer — improving outcomes and avoiding unnecessary side effects from treatments that may not work.
Improving access to life-extending treatment
PARP inhibitors are an important treatment for ovarian cancer, but they are currently offered only to women whose tumours show a specific DNA repair defect. Yet doctors have long known that this test doesn’t tell the whole story — some women miss out on treatment that could help them, while others receive therapy that may offer little benefit.
During the SOLACE2 trial, researchers evaluated a new blood-based immune test that looks at how a woman’s immune system responds to cancer in real time. The results were striking.
The study found that this simple blood test may be better at predicting who will respond to PARP inhibitor therapy than the test currently used in clinics. By measuring immune biomarkers linked to cancer-fighting cells, researchers were able to more accurately identify which women were most likely to benefit from treatment.
Importantly, this test does not rely on tumour tissue — which is not always available — and may better reflect how the cancer is behaving right now, rather than months or years earlier.
Why this matters for women and families
For women facing ovarian cancer, time matters. The ability to quickly and accurately match the right treatment to the right patient could mean longer remission, fewer side effects, and more precious time with loved ones.
While this blood test is not yet available in routine care and still requires further validation, its potential is profound. Researchers believe it could transform how ovarian cancer is treated — moving us closer to truly personalised cancer care.
As Professor Clare Scott AM, Chair of ANZGOG, explains, understanding how immune cells move into tumours and help destroy cancer opens the door not only to better testing, but to better treatments in the future.
Your support makes discoveries like this possible
The SOLACE2 trial is a powerful example of what can be achieved through collaboration — bringing together clinicians, scientists, hospitals and universities across Australia and New Zealand through ANZGOG’s network.
Most importantly, it shows how donor-supported, investigator-led clinical trials can deliver insights that change the future of cancer care.
But promising discoveries don’t stop at publication. They require further research, validation and funding to move from the laboratory into everyday clinical practice — where they can save lives.
Your continued support helps ensure that breakthroughs like this don’t remain just hopeful findings, but become real-world solutions for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Together, we can accelerate research, improve early treatment decisions, and give more women the best possible chance — when they need it most.
As Professor Clare Scott AM, Chair of ANZGOG, explains, understanding how immune cells move into tumours and help destroy cancer opens the door not only to better testing, but to better treatments in the future.
