New Breakthrough for Early Cancer Detection Test, Years Before Disease Develops
Scientists are hailing an exciting new blood test to detect cancers, years before the disease develops.
Dr Eric Klein, the lead author of the study at the Cleveland Centre in Ohio, claims this could be a step towards the 'holy grail' for curing cancer. He said, "Most cancers are detected at a late stage, but this liquid biopsy gives us the opportunity to find them months or years before someone would develop symptoms and be diagnosed."
1,600 patients were tested with the new procedure, giving a 90 per cent accuracy rate with some cases. The tests showed warning signs for cancer at different rates, depending on the type of cancer. It was best at diagnosing pancreatic, ovarian, liver and gallbladder cancers. It accurately pinpointed the disease in at least 80% of the patients.
The researchers acknowledge that there is still much to be done to create a system of universal screening that could help to save lives, but these new tests are a big step forward in helping to detect many cancers before it is too late for treatment.
Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England, said new techniques such as cancer blood tests could "unlock enormous survival gains, as well as dramatic productivity benefits in the practice of medicine. Now, as the NHS marks its 70th anniversary, we stand on the cusp of a new era of personalised medicine that will dramatically transform care for cancer and for inherited and rare diseases."
Professor Nicholas Turner, from the Institute of Cancer Research, called the findings "really exciting". "Far too many cancers are picked up too late, when it is no longer possible to operate and the chances of survival are slim. The goal is to develop a blood test, such as this one, that can accurately identify cancers in their earliest stages."