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Scientists have developed a new blood test that can detect more than fifty types of cancers before any symptoms develop in the patient. “Promising”, experts say.
Cancer research has made great strides in recent years. That’s good, because far too many people are still dying from the persistent condition. Researchers have now taken a new step in the search for a solution. They developed a blood test that makes it possible to detect more than fifty cancers at an early stage. The latter is crucial, because the earlier cancer is detected, the more chance of survival the patient has.
Locate cancer
The blood test looks for pieces of cancer DNA that enter the bloodstream. Deviating methylation patterns can be detected by algorithms with known cancer structures. What’s more, the technique can even accurately indicate where the cancer is, which is very important for targeted treatment.
Even at an early stage
Many cancers can be detected in this way at an early stage, before the patient experiences symptoms. For example, the blood test was able to detect 18 percent of stage I tumors, 43 percent of stage II, 81 percent of stage III, and 93 percent of stage IV. In as many as 93 percent of cases, the test knew which tissue the cancer was in.
Enthusiastic
Experts are already very enthusiastic about the new development. “This is an exciting study that combines advanced laboratory techniques with artificial intelligence. It emphasizes the potential of such a blood test, ”said Kristina Warton of the University of New South Wales.
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