A more accurate test for ovarian cancer is now available in the Quad Cities. But insurance companies won't pay for it yet. On Friday, the Norma Leah Foundation announced local women may request the ROCA blood test.
Nadia Altomare is the CEO of Abcodia, which is based in the United Kingdom with a branch in Boston. It developed the ROCA test over 30 years, concluding with a 15-year clinical trial with 200,000 women.
The current test for ovarian cancer looks for a certain protein. But she says it doesn't detect the protein early enough to save lives.
A blood sample is needed for the ROCA test, and it costs nearly 300 dollars. Altomare says many women will decide it's worth the money.
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The Norma Leah Ovarian Cancer Initiative is a partner with Abcodia to spread the word about the ROCA test. A press release says it has accurately detected 85 percent of ovarian cancers.