New blood test for early cancer diagnosis

Novel blood test enables early and reliable cancer diagnosis

02/11/2014

Physicians of the University Hospital Tübingen, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the Clemenshospital of the University of Münster have found a way to reliably detect cancer by means of a blood test. With oral cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer early detection of cancer with the help of the new blood test is possible, the researchers write in the magazine „BMC Cancer“.

Generally, the chances of recovery are related to cancer „crucial from an early diagnosis“, the doctors and researchers report to the Tübingen oral and maxillofacial surgeon Martin Grimm. In a study of 50 oral cancer patients, 115 prostate cancer patients and 48 breast cancer patients, the researchers were able to confirm the reliability of the blood test for early cancer diagnosis. Here was an important step on the way to a test that can safely and early identify cancers and it does without the removal of a tissue sample.

Significant deficits in conventional cancer tests
The novel blood test use this „Immune system and the activity of circulating in the blood phagocytes, take in the tumor cells“, To identify any cancer that may be present, write Grimm and colleagues. Because conventional cancer tests often detect the disease too late or not reliably enough, physicians have long been looking for more reliable diagnostic procedures. Also falsely positive test results were in the past often an issue because they cause strong insecurity among the patients. For example „the PSA blood test for detecting prostate cancer or mammography for the early detection of breast cancer in some of the patients to positive test results without actually existing cancer“ led the University Hospital Tübingen in its current press release. In oral cancer, so far had no possibility, „to get an indication of the disease through a blood test.“

New blood test one miles in cancer diagnostics
In the new blood test, the physicians used the so-called EDIM technology (EDIM: epitope detection in monocytes), which enables laser-based detection of the tumor cell material in the phagocytes. Here a small blood sample was sufficient to use the EDIM test to identify early oral cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Since the recurrence of the cancer (recurrences) can also be determined by the test, this is also suitable for monitoring therapy, the researchers report. „The study results are a milestone in cancer diagnostics“, so the conclusion of Dr. Grimm, who hopes to establish the test in clinical routine within the next six months. Accordingly, cancer diagnoses for corresponding tumors could in future be made much simpler or without a tissue sample and at the same time more reliable. However, according to the researchers, at first „Further prospective studies are needed to validate this new approach for the diagnosis of neoplasia and tumor recurrence.“ (Fp)