Earliest signs of cancer can be found in the blood

• Scientists have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can detect cancerous tumours years before symptoms appear.
• The study, published in Cancer Discovery, found that genetic mutations caused by cancer can be detected in the blood up to three years in advance for some patients.
• Researchers from Johns Hopkins University analysed blood samples from a NIH-funded study, using genome sequencing techniques to identify tumour-related mutations.
• In a sample of 52 participants, the test accurately identified eight individuals who were diagnosed with cancer within four months, and detected tumour DNA in earlier samples of four of those individuals, collected three to three-and-a-half years prior to diagnosis.
• The findings suggest that multicancer early detection (MCED) tests could lead to more standardised blood screenings, boosting early detection and preventing treatment-resistant tumours, pending validation in larger trials.

IN FULL

Breakthrough blood test detects cancer years before symptoms appear