A blood test which can detect ovarian cancer two years earlier than current methods could be used to screen women, scientists hope.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have found that measuring four proteins together can pick up cancer early, when nine in 10 women will survive.

Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest because symptoms are vague or absent so it is often not diagnosed until later stages, when the chance of surviving for five years is just 22 per cent.

Current blood tests which look for elevated levels of a protein called CA125 have drawbacks because the protein is also elevated in pregnancy and during menstruation.

Researchers analysed blood samples from 80 women over a seven year period and developed an algorithm which flags abnormal levels of proteins.

Dr Bobby Graham said it could eventually be used to screen women annually.

“We are extremely excited about these results, however, they are at an early stage," he said.

“This needs to be tested in separate larger cohorts which we are currently doing.”