Revolutionary Cancer Diagnostics Blood test detects cancers before discomfort occurs

Blood Test effectively detects ten types of cancer

A blood test for ten different types of cancer could one day help physicians to identify the disease early through screening, even before the first symptoms appear in patients. This could revolutionize the treatment and diagnosis of cancer.

Researchers at Stanford University and the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute found in their current research that a new blood test can reliably identify ten types of cancer before the onset of symptoms. The researchers published the results of their study at this year's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists in Chicago.

What is a liquid biopsy?

The novel test is also called liquid biopsy. The test looks for signs of cancer from tiny pieces of DNA released from cancer cells in the blood. The test showed particularly good results for ovarian and pancreatic cancer, but overall, the number of recognized cancers was still relatively low, say the experts.

It is important to recognize cancer early

The test is something like the holy grail of cancer research, explain the doctors. The researchers hope the test will be part of a universal screening tool that will enable physicians to effectively detect cancer in patients early on. Cancer is even easier to treat at an earlier stage, study author Dr. Eric Klein from the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute told the English-language newspaper The Guardian. It breaks a new era of personalized medicine, which will dramatically change the treatment of cancer, hereditary and rare diseases, the experts explain.

Study had more than 1,600 participants

More than 1,600 participants were studied in the study, of which 749 were not affected by cancer at the time of the study. The disease was recently diagnosed in 878 participants. The test was most accurate for the diagnosis of pancreatic, ovarian, hepatic and gallbladder carcinomas, with the disease being successfully diagnosed in at least four out of five patients

How accurate was the test?

The blood test detected a lymphoma with an accuracy of 77 percent. The accuracy in the diagnosis of a so-called myeloma was 73 percent. Bowel cancer was successful in two out of three patients. Lung cancer was detected correctly in 59 percent of patients and 56 percent of patients were diagnosed with head and neck cancer.

Further research is needed

While the results are promising, more clinical trials are needed, the authors say. The number of patients diagnosed with cancer has been low. For example, although the test detects ovarian cancer with an accuracy of 90 percent, only ten ovarian cancers have been detected, the researchers report.

Cancer is often found too late

Too many cancers are diagnosed too late, when it is already no longer possible to operate and the chances of survival are low, say the experts. The goal is to develop a blood test like this, which can accurately detect cancers in their earliest stages, the physicians add. The researchers want to develop a diagnostic tool that can be used by all people regardless of their family history. (As)