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Simple blood test can detect cancer years before symptoms appear

08/06/2017

Simple blood test can detect cancer years before symptoms appear

A simple blood test that accurately detects several different types of cancer years before symptoms even appear could revolutionise how the disease is treated, scientists have said.


Researchers hope the non-invasive test will pave the way for a future where the straightforward procedure could form part of routine health check-ups.


It’s thought that thousands of deaths each year could be prevented with the tests as they can detect tumours at an early stage, when treatment is most effective.


At present, the best method for detecting cancer is a biopsy, which involves cutting out a small piece of tumour tissue for lab analysis. However, biopsies are invasive and often painful, and a person already needs to have a tumour or at least a suspected tumour to have something cut out of it.


That’s why scientists have been working to develop blood tests that can do the same, without the need for surgery.


Speaking about the breakthrough, Dr Bert Vogelstein, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, told The Guardian: “It’s fair to say that if you could detect all cancers while they are still localized, you could diminish cancer deaths by 90 per cent.”

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