A promising new blood test could help identify signs of cancerous tumors years before any symptoms appear.
American researchers from Johns Hopkins University discovered that genetic material shed from tumors can be identified in the bloodstream three years before an initial cancer diagnosis. The findings could allow for earlier intervention in cancer fights, potentially increasing the odds of recovery.
“Three years earlier provides time for intervention. The tumors are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable,” said study co-author Yuxuan Wang, per the Independent.
The researchers leveraged blood plasma samples used for a cardiac-focused study. They developed highly sensitive genome sequencing techniques to examine blood samples from dozens of the study’s initial participants.
Half of the 52 participants were diagnosed with cancer within six months of the sample collection. The other 26 who did not have a cancer diagnosis were used as a comparison control group.
Eight of the 52 participants scored positively in a multicancer earlier detection test when the blood was drawn. The test uses a single blood sample to identify numerous cancers early.
Within four months, all eight were diagnosed with cancer.
Six of the eight individuals had additional blood samples collected around three to 3.5 years before the cancer diagnosis. In four of those cases, the researchers were able to utilize blood samples to detect mutations consistent with tumor growth.
In practice, this promising study could eventually lead to more standardized blood tests that can regularly screen people to help find and prevent cancers before they develop into treatment-resistant tumors.
Last year, the FDA approved a blood test that can help screen for colon cancer, the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States.
In April, The Dallas Express reported that researchers led by the University of California, San Diego, identified what they believe is a potential source driving the surge in cancer rates among young adults. According to the researchers, the bacterial toxin colibactin, produced by certain strains of E. coli, could be causing mutations in the colon’s DNA.