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Southampton Launches Violet Trial of Diagnostic Tampon for Early Ovarian Cancer Detection

The study tests whether microRNA markers in vaginal fluid can signal disease at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Overview

  • About 250 participants are being recruited, including patients having ovaries removed for cancer treatment and BRCA carriers opting for risk‑reducing surgery.
  • The device being evaluated was developed by biotechnology company Daye and will be used alongside vaginal swabs and surgical tissue sampling.
  • Researchers will compare microRNA biomarker patterns across vaginal fluid and tissue to identify signatures linked to early ovarian cancer.
  • Investigators say positive results would prompt larger validation trials, describing the potential of a non‑invasive test as a possible game‑changer if proven.
  • The trial is led by University Hospital Southampton teams with support from the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University’s Centre for Cancer Immunology, funded by The Eve Appeal, against a backdrop of no UK screening and roughly 7,500–7,600 cases annually.