Dr. David Cohn and his colleagues at OSU's Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a different blood test that spots patterns in snips of genetic material.  It has worked so far, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported.

"We're very excited about the prospect of being able to use this test to pick up women who are at risk for having ovarian cancer or who have early ovarian cancer," Cohn said.

SPECIAL SECTION:  Female Focus

According to Cohn, if the next clinical trial proves that the ovarian cancer blood test works, he thinks it may be approved by the Food and Drug Administration and available to patients in about two years.

Last year, 20,000 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 15,000 women died.

Ovarian cancer is known as a silent killer because the disease is not picked up until the latest stage, Cohn said.

Jill Church hopes that the new test succeeds.

Her cancer was found at stage three.  She needed surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy.

Church is doing well and hopes that fewer women will go through what she did.

"That would be fabulous," Church said.  "That would be absolutely fabulous."

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