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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Jan 4.
Published in final edited form as: Sci Transl Med. 2018 Mar 21;10(433):eaap8793. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aap8793

Fig. 5. PapSEEK test for the detection of tumor DNA in the Pap brush, Tao brush, and plasma samples of patients with endometrial or ovarian cancers.

Fig. 5.

Tumor cells shed from ovarian or endometrial cancers are carried into the uterine cavity, where they can be collected by the Tao brush. The tumor cells that pass down into the endocervical canal can be captured by the Pap brush used in the routine Pap test. These brushes are dipped into a liquid fixative, from which DNA is isolated and sequenced. The sequences are analyzed for somatic mutations and aneuploidy. In addition, tumor DNA shed into the bloodstream can be detected by circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis. Detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers with PapSEEK in the Pap brush, Tao brush, and plasma samples is shown as means ± 95% confidence intervals.