DNA signs give hope on cancer February 27, 2013 A blood test could be a reality within five years, and vastly improve survival rates. AUSTRALIAN researchers have identified biological changes in the DNA of women with ovarian cancer, bringing them a step closer to an early detection test that could save hundreds of lives each year. The head of ovarian cancer research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Goli Samimi, said her team had been able to detect differences in the DNA structure of ovarian cancer patients using a simple blood test. They identified the changes after sequencing the DNA of three ovarian cancer patients and five healthy women, and analysing about 200,000 potential locations where structural changes could occur. Dr Samimi said the findings showed it was possible to sequence a person's entire genetic code using DNA from blood samples. The research team also identified locations where structural changes occurred in ovarian cancer patients compared with healthy women, and will use the findings to develop a blood test to detect early cancers. Dr Samimi, who will announce details of her research at a lunch to mark ovarian cancer awareness day in Sydney on Wednesday, said the next step was to replicate the findings in a larger group of about 200 women. A blood test could be a reality within five years, and vastly improve survival rates, she said. About 1200 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and 80 per cent of cancers are detected at a late stage, when the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. Ovarian cancer is the sixth most deadly cancer.