‘Game-changing’ spit test could shrink years-long wait for diagnosis of condition that affects 190M women - New York Post

(function() { var overlay = document.getElementById("nyp-player-lcp-overlay"); if (!overlay) { return; } function hideOverlay() { overlay.remove(); } function afterDCL() { requestAnimationFrame(hideOverlay); } if (document.readyState === "loading") { document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", afterDCL, { once: true }); } else { afterDCL(); } })(); See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google The wait may finally be over for millions of women. A new test which uses a saliva sample may make detecting a serious reproductive condition a much easier and less invasive process. The technique could also provide results faster, meaning earlier diagnosis as well as better treatment and care. A saliva test could be a less invasive and faster way to detect a difficult to diagnose condition affecting millions of women. RomanR – stock.adobe.com On average, women may have to wait up to 11 years between their first symptoms and a diagnosis of endometriosis, according to Yale Medicine. But that wait may be drastically shortened, thanks to a new test, Endotest. Earlier this month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK gave the go-ahead for the test, which checks a saliva sample for microRNAs that can indicate whether endometriosis is likely present. While NICE said the test is not meant to be a standalone diagnostic tool, the innovative product has been approved for use in clinicians’ offices in England and Wales for three years. Affecting about 1 in 10 women worldwide, endometriosis happens when the uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing cramping and chronic pain. Endometriosis symptoms are often seen with other conditions like painful periods, although plenty of women with the disease have no history of painful periods or pelvic pain. Symptoms can include fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, irritable bowels, urinary frequency and infertility, among many more. Endotest was approved to use in the UK to detect endometriosis, which can take up to 11 years to diagnose in women. Drazen – stock.adobe.com Dr. Sheeva Talebian, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, previously told The Post she was haunted by how long “we’ve conditioned women to believe that debilitating pain is normal.” “Quite frankly, even amongst gynecologists, this disease is still not fully understood or recognized,” Talebian said. “Therefore, even a gynecologist may miss some of the varying symptoms and pass these women off to other specialists for testing.” During the diagnostic process, many women undergo extensive workups — everything from colonoscopy and endoscopy to abdominal MRIs — but may still walk away with no clear findings. This makes the condition “one of the most common missed diagnoses,” according to Talebian. Along with the symptoms, endometriosis is difficult to diagnose because of the tools, or lack thereof, available to doctors. “There is no good blood test or imaging modality that can detect endometriosis,” Talebian said, adding that pelvic MRIs might not catch the disease in its early stages. The stage of the disease may also not correspond to the severity of symptoms. If left untreated, the illness can result in several health complications, and not just for certain parts of the reproductive system either. “In the most severe cases, we see what’s called a frozen pelvis, which is when chronic inflammation and scar tissue cause the ovaries, bladder and bowel to fuse together, distorting your internal anatomy,” Talebian explained. It can also impact fertility by significantly diminishing the ovarian reserve and physically blocking the fallopian tubes. So the sooner endometriosis is detected and diagnosed thanks to tests like Endotest, the sooner treatment can begin. “These tests are a game-changer because they give us answers much earlier, without the need for invasive surgery,” Dr. Gail Busby, a consultant gynaecologist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said in a press release. “An earlier diagnosis doesn’t just change one person’s life, it frees up appointments and surgical slots for everyone waiting for care,” she added.