Understanding Ovarian Cancer & Your Biomarkers

Biomarker testing can be done in many forms and can serve different purposes. The tests can examine tumour tissue or blood samples, and look for genetic changes. Other biomarkers can be a clinical/pathology factor such as age or stage of disease.

The presence of certain biomarkers can serve to determine the overall outcomes of a patient’s cancer journey (such as expected response to treatment or the likelihood that the cancer may recur) or can serve to match patients to a targeted therapy based on the results of their biomarker test.

Germline means that all of the cells in your body carry this DNA mutation. It was inherited by a biological parent and could be passed on to a biological child. Somatic means that the mutation is only found in your cancer cells and it cannot be passed on to children.

Biomarker testing may be recommended at different points throughout your ovarian cancer journey such as:

- when you’re first diagnosed
- when considering treatment
- if your cancer comes back

Testing can be done in various ways. Some require testing of tumor tissue from a biopsy or surgery and some require testing of blood. The DNA is extracted from your tumour or blood, and then sent to a laboratory for analysis. During analysis, they will look to see if certain genes are abnormal or whether certain proteins are present in your cancer cells. The results can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks to be ready, depending on the test and where you are located.

Biomarker testing can help patients and their healthcare teams make important decisions about their care. It is good to have this information early. It may take a long time to get the results of biomarker tests (depending on the cancer centre) and this should be considered when determining the best time for testing. Having this information early can help ensure that biomarker results are available when they may be needed to inform treatment decisions.

There are different approaches depending on the cancer centre. Some choose to perform somatic testing first and, if a mutation is found, then perform germline testing. Some cancer centres perform both at the same time. If a germline mutation is found, there may be implications for biological family members. For example, they could be at risk for related cancers and should explore relevant preventative opportunities. Somatic testing can help identify treatment options relevant to the patient.

Germline and somatic test results are only as good as the medical knowledge at the time of testing. As genetic testing evolves with new research, repeated testing for newly understood genetic mutations may be relevant and recommended.

Germline testing allows identification of gene mutations in normal cells (not cancer cells) that are inherited from one or both biological parents, and can also be passed on to biological children. If an inherited gene mutation is identified, other biological family members may also be offered genetic testing to help them understand their cancer risk.