An update from PIQ this morning from a recent conference. Essentially showing the blood test they have been developing as a screening test for endometriosis is is 90% effective at detecting endometriosis.
Important to note that the study was comparing no disease Vs endoscopically confirmed severe disease. However this is still a promising step forwards. Sensitivity was 89% (rules out) & specificity 95% (rules in). The test was reactive according to disease activity.
New-endometriosis-test-presented-at-international-conference.pdf
Currently, there is no diagnostic test, when a high level of suspicion is present and the symptoms are debilitating a diagnostic laparoscope is used to visualise endometrial tissue within the pelvic cavity (yet outside the uterus, which is the definition of the disease). The mainstay of treatment is NSAID pain relief for mild to moderate disease. For woman with more severe disease/ symptoms surgical intervention can be required. Important to note that this disease can severely affect fertility, and so can the treatments. In some cases surgical intervention is done in an effort to improve fertility efforts.
Next step would be for them to prove it can detect mild and moderate disease.
The most important thing would be to demonstrate how detecting the disease earlier would affect outcomes. Obviously earlier confirmation of diagnosis would assist in pain management, which is amazing for patients, however, I would argue that unless a new test actually changes the disease outcome via better interventions then this isn't going to reinvent the wheel.
Held on strawman (for the test for CKD, which earlier detection would improve outcomes because it is so insidious).
