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A breakthrough development in early-stage endometriosis diagnosis could close the gap on lengthy wait times and costly, invasive procedures.
Australian researchers at a Perth-based medical technology company called Proteomics International have published findings that point to a successful diagnosis blood test trial.
The study, run by scientists from Proteomics International and researches from the Royal Women’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne, compared 805 participants across two independent sample groups.
Results effectively identified and distinguished between the ‘healthy’ samples and those that showed markers for endometriosis.
“We identified 10 protein biomarkers, or ‘fingerprints’ in the blood, that can be found using our test, in women and girls with endometriosis,” said Proteomics International’s managing director Dr Richard Lipscombe.
“The blood test, called PromarkerEndo, could significantly reduce the cost and the amount of time typically spent on trying to solve the cause of symptoms suffered by women and girls over years, often from as early as when they start having periods.
“A blood test is more cost-effective for patients and the health system than the current use of ultrasounds, invasive laparoscopies, MRIs and biopsies to diagnose endometriosis, and work is underway to fortify the robustness and reliability of the new test for clinical use.”
The findings come just months after the government announced plans to subsidise an endometriosis treatment drug called Visanne, which has been shown to dramatically reduce pain in women suffering from the disease.
How Is Endometriosis Diagnosed?
A condition that impacts more than a million women, endometriosis is known to affect one in seven women and teenage girls, and is responsible for as many as 40,000 hospitalisations every year.
The gold standard for endometriosis diagnosis is still through laparoscopic investigation, but its invasive and costly nature is a prohibitive barrier to many.
Currently, there is still no known cure and the treatment available only targets the symptoms, not the cause. Similarly, lengthy diagnosis times can lead to significant health issues for those affected.
While the research is a huge step in closing the pain gap for women and addressing the average 7-year wait for endometriosis diagnosis, it can’t be viewed as a blanket solution.
“We must always keep a focus on the symptoms that a woman presents to us with, so that we don’t become blindsided by particular results, especially when we’re dealing with new testing,” Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis told NewsGP.
“It might be a prohibitively expensive test – so it needs to be affordable, it needs to prove to be accurate and it needs to also give women an option to proceed with further investigations if that’s deemed necessary.”
As early test results prove positive, Professor Simonis notes the impact it could have on communities with less access to medical and diagnostic resources.
“It might actually have a really positive impact on reducing hospital waiting times and I think for rural and remote women, who don’t have access to the services that we have in metropolitan areas, it could make a very big difference to our marginalised patients.”
Related articles:
- Life-Changing Endometriosis Treatment To Be Subsidised For The First Time In 30 Years
- TGA Approves First Treatment For Endometriosis Symptoms In 13 Years
- These Celebrities Have Opened Up About Their Personal Struggles With Endometriosis
