February 2010
Spire Healthcare is pleased to announce it has signed a commercial agreement with Intus Healthcare, the sole UK distributor for OvPlex™, an early stage diagnostic for ovarian cancer. Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral will be one of the 16 Spire hospitals who are able to perform the test in the UK.
OvPlex™ is a superior performing diagnostic for earlier detection of ovarian cancer in symptomatic women. According to Cancer Research UK, each year around 6,600 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It's the fifth most common cancer in women after breast, lung, bowel and womb (uterus) cancer, and it mostly affects post-menopausal women. A family history of cancer is one of the most important risk factors as 1 in 10 cases of ovarian cancers are caused by an inherited gene.
OvPlex™ is a simple blood test that measures the levels of five proteins in a patient’s blood which are released by epithelial tumour cells as they grow. One of the proteins is CA125, which has been used for several years for the detection and monitoring of ovarian cancer. When measured along with the four additional proteins that make up OvPlex™, a significant enhancement in diagnostic performance can be achieved.
The OvPlex™ test can be ordered from Intus Healthcare via their website www.ovplex.co.uk or for more information call Intus on 0844 504 9999.
For further information on the services available at Spire Murrayfield Hospital complete our online enquiry form.