An important breakthrough in genetic science could lead to changes in the way ovarian cancer is treated.

Dundee University researchers have uncovered information about how the cancer becomes resistant to certain treatments.

Scientists found a gene called ABCB1, which is known to play a role in resistance to a chemotherapy drug used to treat ovarian cancer also causes resistance to treatments.

Women with ovarian cancer are commonly treated with a combination of two drugs but if their cancer stops responding, doctors need other options.

For many women, a new family of drugs called PARP inhibitors can be one of the next treatments offered to them through clinical trial.

Dr Gillian Smith, who led the research, said: "Drug resistance is a major complication for many ovarian cancer patients.

"Our study shows an important resistance mechanism which is common to drugs used routinely in the clinic and to new drugs which are being tested in clinical trials.

"Increasing our understanding of resistance mechanisms will allow us to develop tests to spot drug resistance more easily and to make sure patients are given the most appropriate drugs.

"Understanding the biology of drug resistant cancers could also lead to the development of new treatments that block cancer's escape, making them susceptible to therapy again."

Their findings are published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Around 600 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Scotland every year, with 380 dying with the disease in 2014.

Nell Barrie, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "This research increases our understanding of how drug resistance develops in ovarian cancer at a cellular level.

"It shows for the first time that the same mechanism that causes ovarian cancer to become resistant to paclitaxel also applies to some PARP inhibitors and other chemotherapy treatments.

"Further studies are now needed in patients to see whether some treatments will perform better than others at helping to control ovarian cancer."

The study was funded by the Ninewells Cancer Campaign and the Melville Robertson Trust.