A new University of Florida study aims to determine which of two blood tests can help doctors better track how cervical cancer responds to treatment.
Awarded $1.59 million by the Florida Department of Health’s Cancer Innovation Fund and led by Paul Okunieff, MD, professor (shown right), Department of Radiation Oncology, and David Iglesias, MD, chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, the project will run as a nine-month feasibility study.
Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). When the virus becomes part of a person’s DNA, it can lead to cancer development. Researchers believe that as tumor cells die, they release pieces of HPV DNA into the bloodstream, and tracking these levels could let doctors know immediately whether treatment is working.
The efficacy of two existing tests will be compared: one using bDNA, or Branched DNA, and the other PCR, or Polymerase Chain Reaction. The observational-only UF study will follow 55 patients, ages 18–89, who have cervical cancer at stage I or higher. Participants will be grouped based on the type of treatment they receive, such as surgery, radiation (with or without chemotherapy), or systemic therapies for recurrent cancer.
Patients will continue with standard treatments recommended by their doctors – no therapies will be added. The research team will collect blood and cervical mucus samples to gauge tumor response.
The most successful of the tests could give physicians a faster, less invasive way to monitor treatment response compared to imaging scans alone, to better identify whether a therapy is working within days instead of months.
“Being able to improve personalized care in real time could be a game-changer for cervical cancer treatment,” said Dr. Iglesias. “Our goals are ultimately to avoid unnecessary side effects and improve survival for women with cervical cancer.”
Dr. Okunieff and Steve Swarts, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, will also collaborate with scientists at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology to analyze samples collected during the study.
For more information about the study, contact Kari Bastow via email at kari.bastow@ufhealth.org or 352-265-8827.
