| I’ve been taking the contraceptive pill for years, and during the times when I’ve taken a break from it my periods are heavier and often accompanied by painful stomach cramps. For women suffering from endometriosis, this kind of agony is constant. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, often in the pelvic area, and becomes trapped when it thickens and breaks down as part of the menstrual cycle. This can lead to severe pain, along with fertility issues. The disease affects roughly 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, though getting diagnosed with endometriosis can take years. Diagnosis is currently done via a procedure called a laparoscopy, which involves a surgeon making a small cut in order to insert a camera into the body. But now, an Australian medical technology company is setting its sights on a blood test, which checks for certain protein biomarkers that are present in endometriosis patients. This could make the diagnosis faster — and also more convenient for patients. Research published at the end of last year analyzed plasma samples from 805 participants, with the status of endometriosis and symptomatic control samples confirmed by laparoscopy. Ten protein biomarkers were identified and validated, “demonstrating strong predictive accuracy for the diagnosis of endometriosis,” according to the study. Proteomics International is now targeting launches of its blood test in Australia and the US later this year, with other jurisdictions to follow. Still, it’s unclear how widely available the blood test might be in a real-life setting, how much it will cost and whether it will encourage more women to question the discomfort they’re experiencing. One of the problems with diagnosing the condition is that some women might think it’s normal to have heavy or painful bleeding, so wouldn’t think to see a doctor about their symptoms. For Magdalena Simonis, a women’s health expert who’s also on the national expert advisory group for endometriosis in Australia, a tool that would help identify the disease early on would be a “big bonus,” given it would also mean the symptoms can be treated earlier. According to the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, potential treatments include pain relief medication, hormonal treatments and surgery. Alternative therapies could also be beneficial for some women. While a blood test could help diagnose endometriosis, it wouldn’t be the most important thing when it comes to dealing with the disease. “We need to really listen to the woman and the symptoms that she presents with,” Simonis tells me. “We need to continue to manage her symptoms and her needs according to her expectations. So a positive test does not mean we go gung-ho with interventions that she’s not comfortable with, and a negative test does not mean that we dismiss her symptoms.” —Lisa Pham | 
