Researchers at the European Society for Medical Oncology have developed a blood test to detect more than 50 types of cancer. The test takes ten days before it processes and can detect cancer before the patient has symptoms. It can go as far as showing the location of a cancerous tumour. Catching cancer early on can sometimes make a huge difference.
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 1.8 million new cancer cases were detected in the U.S in 2020, and more than 600,000 people died from it. Screening for some of the most dangerous types of cancer is not always available. With this test, scientists can now detect these types of cancers.
GRAIL. Inc, the company behind the research, has already made the test available in the US. However, the test is to be used in addition to other screening tests.
According to Dr Eric Klein, a lead study author and Chairman of the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, cancer treatment is more efficient when the disease is caught early. These tests, therefore, enable the healthcare provider to reduce the burden of cancer. Data shows that when the new blood tests are used alongside other screening tests, it could make a big difference in public health.
For the test, doctors take a blood sample and scan it for cell-free DNA (cfDNA). This DNA is shed by tumour cells into the blood. Genetic sequencing is then used to detect any chemical changes to DNA in a process called methylation. The results go through a computer algorithm to spot abnormal patterns in the methylation, which might be a sign of cancer.
To check for the efficacy of the screening test, the researchers conducted a trial with 1254 healthy people to act as the control and 2823 cancer patients. They were able to detect 50 types of cancer in all four stages of the disease.
GRAIL is partnering up with the National Health Service in the UK to conduct a trial with 650,000 people later this year.
Dr Klein adds that the test, which only includes a simple blood test, could provide ways to detect cancer to people who have limited access to medical care.