Scientists have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can detect signs of cancerous tumours years before symptoms appear, potentially improving treatment outcomes. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US found that genetic material shed by tumours can be identified in the bloodstream long before a diagnosis.
The study, published in Cancer Discovery, showed that genetic mutations caused by cancer could be detected in blood samples over three years in advance for some patients. 'Three years earlier provides time for intervention. The tumours are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable,' said co-author Yuxuan Wang.
Researchers analysed blood plasma from 52 participants of a larger NIH-funded study on cardiovascular disease. Twenty-six had been diagnosed with cancer within six months of sample collection, while 26 served as controls. Using highly accurate genome sequencing, they found that eight participants tested positive in a multicancer early detection (MCED) test, and all eight were diagnosed with cancer within four months.
For six of these eight, additional blood samples taken about three to 3.5 years before diagnosis were available. In four cases, mutations linked to tumour growth were identified in the earlier samples. The findings suggest MCED tests could enable standardised screening every one to two years, boosting early detection and preventing treatment-resistant tumours.
'Detecting cancers years before their clinical diagnosis could help provide management with a more favourable outcome,' said co-author Nickolas Papadopoulos. The team hopes to validate the results in a larger trial.
