US Patent 11286531 Assaying ovarian cyst fluid

A diagnostic test for ovarian cysts is based on the detection of mutations characteristic of the most common neoplasms giving rise to these lesions. With this test, tumor-specific mutations were detected in the cyst fluids of 19 of 24 (79%) borderline tumors and 28 of 31 (90%) malignant ovarian cancers. In contrast, we detected no mutations in the cyst fluids from 10 non-neoplastic cysts and 12 benign tumors. When categorized by the need for exploratory surgery (i.e., presence of a borderline tumor or malignant cancer), the sensitivity of this test was 85% and the specificity was 100%. These tests could inform the diagnosis of ovarian cysts and improve the clinical management of the large number of women with these lesions.