Researched New Blood Test detects recurrent cancer much earlier

Experts develop cancer-detecting blood test
Cancer is a dangerous disease that threatens the lives of many people worldwide. Researchers have now developed a novel method for early detection of recurrent cancer. With the new blood test, the cancer can be detected a year earlier than was previously possible with normal scans.

Researchers at the UCL Cancer Institute found that a novel blood test enables early detection of recurrent cancer. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Nature".

A newly developed blood test allows early detection of recurring cancer. The results of this test can be used to initiate more effective treatment for those affected. (Image: motorolka / fotolia.com)

New test detects cancer long before CT scans
A British research team has been able to more effectively screen people's blood for signs of cancer. The cancer could be detected in a condition where it affects only a small cluster of cells. At this time, he is not yet visible by X-ray or computed tomography (CT), say the experts.

Earlier detection of cancer leads to improved healing
The new discovery should enable physicians to detect tumors sooner and thus improve the chances that cancer patients will be cured. The research project focused on lung cancer, but the processes studied are so fundamental that they could affect all cancers, the authors speculate. Lung cancer kills more people every year than any other type of tumor. The study tracked how the cancer evolves and how it spreads throughout the body.

Experts analyzed defective DNA from cancerous tumor
For the current study, samples were taken from a lung tumor during surgery. The scientists then analyzed the defective DNA of the tumor to create a genetic fingerprint of the cancer. Every three months after the operation, blood tests were then carried out and the experts searched for the first signs of recurrent cancer.

Blood test detects tumors with a volume of 0.3 cubic millimeters
This new method has enabled cancer to be detected one year earlier than other tests currently allow, researchers say. The test of blood samples detects tumors with a volume of only 0.3 cubic millimeters. We can identify cancer in patients, even if they do not actually show any clinical signs of the disease, explains the author. Christopher Abbosh from the UCL Cancer Institute. So the cancer could be better monitored. It also recognizes how well applied therapies work, the expert adds.

Blood test allows more effective treatment of lung cancer relapses
The findings provide new hope for the treatment of lung cancer relapse after surgery. Theoretically, it should be easier to treat the cancer more effectively because the recurrent cancer can be detected while it is still tiny, the scientists explain. So far, it is only possible to detect the cancer after it has grown more and becomes visible again in normal examinations.

Blood test allows treatment as long as there are still few cancer cells in the body
By treating the disease early, at a time when very few cancer cells are present in the body, the chances of a successful healing of patients can be increased, the study authors hope. (As)