Study finds novel biomarker for ovarian and endometrial origins of metastatic cancer

March 20, 20232 min
Doctor holding Uterus and Ovaries model. Ovarian and Cervical

To determine the appropriate treatment approach for metastatic cancer, it is critical to identify a tumor’s primary site of origin. Specific biomarkers to assist with proper diagnosis could benefit clinicians and patients.

PAX8 is commonly used to determine if a tumor is of gynecologic origin, but it also is highly expressed in other cancers such as thyroid and renal carcinomas, making it difficult to reliably diagnose tumors with ovarian and endometrial origin. To identify a more specific biomarker, researchers led by Jinsong Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and Qingqing Ding, M.D., Ph.D., mined mRNA expression profile data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and performed immunological staining in a large cohort of ovarian and endometrial cancer along with samples from other cancer types.

They found SOX17 was highly expressed in different subtypes of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas but was not expressed in thyroid or renal carcinomas. In addition, SOX17 is not expressed in peritoneal mesothelioma and breast cancer, whose tumors often are confused with ovarian cancer. The data suggest SOX17 represents a sensitive and specific marker for identifying tumors of gynecological origin.

MJH footer logo with red letters

Medical Journal – Houston is the leading source of healthcare business news. With extremely relevant content, late-breaking news and monthly exclusives from industry experts, MJH News has created a winning combination of must-read editorial that physicians and hospital executives eagerly anticipate month after month. MJH News is the resource that provides everything they need in one place, and it is a high honor that they rely upon Medical Journal – Houston to keep their practice or hospital on the cutting edge.

Archives