Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that it is possible to detect endometrial cancer using tumor DNA picked up by ordinary tampons. The new approach specifically examines DNA samples from vaginal secretions for the presence of methylation — chemical off-switches that can disable genes that normally keep cancer in check.

The finding is a critical step toward a convenient and effective screening test for endometrial cancer, which is the most common gynecological malignancy in the United States.

Jamie N. Bakkum-Gamez, M.D., a gynecological surgeon at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, discusses findings from the study, Detection of Endometrial Cancer via Molecular Analysis of DNA Collected With Vaginal Tampons, published in Gynecology Oncology in 2015.