Understanding ovarian cancer testing can help you and your care team choose the most effective care approaches for you. This video defines what biomarker testing is, how this testing may help doctors determine whether certain treatments may work best for you, and what ovarian cancer patients and families should know when discussing key testing and treatment options with their healthcare team
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Transcript
When it comes to ovarian cancer, no two people—and no two tumors—are exactly the same. That’s where biomarker testing comes in. It helps doctors learn more about your cancer, so you can collaborate on choosing the best care approach for you.
So what are biomarkers? Biomarkers are signs in the body that provide additional health information. They can be genes, proteins, or signals from cancer cells. In ovarian cancer, biomarkers may help predict how a tumor acts, how fast it may grow, and which treatments could work best.
There are two main types of biomarker testing:
- Tumor testing, which looks at a sample of the cancer tissue. It checks for changes, or mutations, that help the tumor grow.
- Blood or germline testing, which looks for genetic changes you are born with, such as BRCA mutations. These mutations can raise cancer risk and affect treatment choices. Non-genetic biomarker testing measures substances in the blood that reflect cancer activity, which may help to track treatment response and to detect recurrence.
The results of biomarker testing can help to confirm a diagnosis, to guide treatment options, or to decide if a clinical trial may be a good fit for you. It can also give clues about how well a treatment may work and what to expect in the future.
It’s essential to participate in your conversations with your doctor and to advocate for all necessary testing. Ask your healthcare team:
- Have I had biomarker testing?
- What type of testing was done—tumor testing, blood testing, or both?
- How do my results affect my treatment options and care?
- How will we know if my treatment is working?
- Are there clinical trials that may be right for me?
- And, should I talk with a genetic counselor or have more testing?
Once you have a better understanding of your specific cancer, it can help you make informed choices and access more personalized care.
Visit powerfulpatients.org/ovarian for additional resources and tools for self-advocacy.