Glycoprotein cancer biomarker

A method for evaluating the presence, absence, nature or extent of ovarian cancer or a precancerous condition of the ovary, the method comprising:

• providing a biological sample obtained from a subject, the biological sample comprising glycoproteins;
• contacting the biological sample with a glycan-binding molecule specific for a glycan, under conditions that permit binding of the glycan-binding molecule to a glycoprotein comprising said glycan;
• detecting binding of the glycan-binding molecule to the glycoprotein to determine the presence, absence or amount of a cancer-specific glycoform of the glycoprotein in the biological sample, wherein said cancer-specific glycoform comprises the glycan and is indicative of ovarian cancer or a precancerous condition of the ovary;
• wherein the plurality of glycoproteins are selected from the group consisting of periostin (POSTN), biglycan (BGN), heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (HSPG2), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) serine protease inhibitor H1 (SERPINH1), lysosomal-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 (LAMP1), lectin galactosidase soluble binding protein 3 (LGALS3BP), complement factor B (CFB), fibulin 5 (FBLN5), mucin 5b (MUC5b), and lactotransferrin (LTF);
• and
• wherein the presence, absence or amount of the cancer-specific glycoform is indicative of the presence, absence, nature or extent of ovarian cancer or a precancerous condition of the ovary.