SARASOTA, Fla. – (Dec. 8, 2022) – While ovarian cancer is relatively rare, it is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. It is a stealthy disease, with no proven screening tests to help with early detection and no noticeable symptoms until its later stages when the cancer is harder to treat.
That’s why the Sarasota Memorial Research Institute is among 318 research sites across the nation participating in a clinical trial aimed at preventing ovarian cancer in women at high risk for the disease.
“At Sarasota Memorial we have multiple trials looking at targeted therapies for ovarian cancer, but this one is probably the most exciting because prevention is better than treatment,” said SMH gynecologic oncologist Beverly Long, MD, principal investigator of the SMH study. “The study is designed to help determine the next best preventable surgery for premenopausal women with a genetic mutation that markedly increases their risk of dying from ovarian cancer.”
Known as the SOROCk trial, the study will assess whether removing the fallopian tubes (bilateral salpingectomy) reduces the risk of ovarian cancer among premenopausal women with inherited BRCA1 mutations as effectively as removing both the ovaries and fallopian tubes (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). The current standard of care is to remove both the ovaries and fallopian tubes at the same time, which is highly effective but comes with significant side effects and long-term problems.
Over the next 10 years, researchers will collect data from more than 2,000 premenopausal women (age 35-50) with the BRCA1 mutation, comparing clinical outcomes of those who opt to remove their fallopian tubes and ovaries with those who choose to remove only their fallopian tubes. Women who choose the latter can opt to remove their ovaries later and still be part of the trial. The study excludes women who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or have a prior history of ovarian cancer.
“Since ovarian cancer typically starts in the fallopian tubes, the study will help determine if we can prevent the cancer with a faster, low-risk procedure that doesn’t induce premature menopause, which will improve the quality of life for patients undergoing these risk-reducing procedures,” said Sarasota Memorial Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD, who credits the experience and expertise of SMH’s research team for bringing yet another important study to local patients.
For more information about the SOROCk trial or other clinical trials, contact the Sarasota Memorial Research Institute at (941) 917-2225.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Founded in 1925, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1,900 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than a million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, a freestanding ER in North Port, and a comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices that stretch from Manatee County to North Port. As the region's only public health system and not-for-profit health care provider, SMH serves as a critical safety net for the uninsured in Sarasota County. Visit smh.com for information.