A potential breakthrough in endometriosis screening could dramatically shorten the often long diagnostic journey faced by hundreds of thousands of Australian women.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, a new urine-based test, ArelisENDO, developed by Melbourne-based women’s health firm Arelis, is showing promise in early trials and may be available to patients as early as 2027.
Led by theatre-nurse-turned-innovator Tori Fox, along with Professors Maneesh Singh and Francis Martin, the test uses cutting-edge biospectroscopy to detect distinct chemical fingerprints associated with endometriosis.
Preliminary testing on more than 900 women has shown the method to be “incredibly effective at picking up early-stage disease”, Fox said.
The technology is now undergoing validation through the world-leading Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute (AERI) at UNSW.
The research team hopes the test will not only diagnose the disease but also help determine its stage, something that has traditionally required invasive surgery.
“What we’re really excited to be doing is also looking at how we can stage the disease, which is incredibly important,” Fox says.
For Illawarra women, the promise of faster, simpler diagnosis could be transformational.
“We see every day the physical, emotional and financial toll delayed diagnosis takes on women in our region,” said Jess Davidson, General Manager of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.
“A non-invasive test that could give women answers in weeks instead of years would be nothing short of life-changing.”
Endometriosis Australia says the chronic disease costs the Australian economy $9.7 billion annually, with many women spending more than $30,000 managing symptoms over their lifetime.
Diagnostic delays, averaging six to eight years, mean women often endure chronic pain, fertility loss, and repeated dismissal from healthcare providers.
Earlier this year, findings published in the Medical Journal of Australia show that the rate of diagnosis in general practice nearly doubled over the decade, and the median time from first recorded symptom to diagnosis has dropped to around 2.5 years, compared with previous estimates of 6 to 7 years.