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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Cancer could be detected 3 years before symptoms appear with a simple blood test; new study reveals
One of the leading causes of death in recent years, cancer, is claiming to take millions of lives each year. Despite the significant advancements in the treatment, the biggest challenge in fighting cancer is that the detection is often too late. Detecting cancer earlier may dramatically improve survival rates and offer more treatment options. But, this is yet harder to diagnose at the earliest stage and is one of the crucial reasons for rising deaths worldwide. Now, a new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers suggests that a simple blood test could help identify cancer years before symptoms even begin to show, potentially transforming the future of early diagnosis and prevention. According to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Discovery , this breakthrough might be a push in early diagnosis of cancer. A simple blood test may detect cancer early, before any symptoms start Cancer outcomes are heavily dependent on how early the disease is detected. When tumours are caught in their initial stages, they tend to be smaller, less aggressive, and more responsive to treatment. As researcher Yuxuan Wang from Johns Hopkins explains, 'Three years earlier provides time for intervention. The tumours are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable.' This time advantage could make the difference between curable and life-threatening cancer, especially in aggressive forms of the disease. At the heart of the research is a type of genetic material called circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Tumours naturally shed fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream, but these traces are extremely minute and hard to detect, especially in the early stages. Science behind detecting cancer in blood To identify these fragments, scientists used multi-step algorithms and cross-checks to scan blood samples for modifications in DNA patterns that are commonly linked to tumours. The technique forms the basis of a Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) test, designed to look for cancer-specific genetic changes in the blood. The research team analysed blood samples from 52 individuals, split into two groups: 26 people who were later diagnosed with cancer within six months of sample collection. 26 people who remained cancer-free. When subjected to the MCED test , eight cancer cases were flagged, indicating a 31% detection rate. While not perfect, this detection occurred before any formal diagnosis or visible symptoms appeared. Testing the method: What the study revealed What makes the findings even more groundbreaking is the analysis of older blood samples from some of the participants. Six of the eight individuals who were detected by the MCED test had blood samples available from 3.1 to 3.5 years before their diagnosis. Amazingly, cancer signals were found in four of those six samples. The ctDNA was present, although at levels up to 80 times lower than what the current test threshold requires. This suggests that tumours begin shedding DNA into the blood long before symptoms arise. if the tests are sensitive enough, these early signs could be caught. While the results are promising, they also highlight a key hurdle that the current technology needs to improve its sensitivity. The earlier the stage of cancer, the lower the ctDNA levels, making detection difficult. 'This study shows the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early,' says Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a senior cancer researcher involved in the project. 'But it also sets the benchmark sensitivities required for these tests to succeed.' In simpler terms, we now know what we should aim for—but we're not quite there yet. What happens after a positive cancer blood test Even though the science is encouraging, moving from lab to the clinic is not straightforward. Blood-based cancer screening tests must undergo rigorous clinical trials to prove their reliability and safety. Once proven effective, they still require regulatory approvals before being adopted into regular medical practice. There's also the question of what comes after a positive test. Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos from the Ludwig Centre notes, 'We need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test result. That includes further scans, biopsies, or even preventive treatments.' Despite the current limitations, this research represents a hopeful shift in cancer diagnostics. Combined with ongoing advances in treatment, especially therapies targeting multiple cancer types, the future holds the potential for significantly improved survival rates. This could mark a revolutionary step forward in how cancer is screened and treated. Also Read | 10 common monsoon diseases that might cause serious health problems; know symptoms and how to protect yourself One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
India Today
a day ago
- Health
- India Today
Blood test detects cancer DNA three years before diagnosis
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that tiny traces of cancer can be found in a person's blood up to three years before they are officially means doctors might one day be able to catch cancer much earlier, when it's easier to treat or even study, published in Cancer Discovery, was led by scientists from several Johns Hopkins institutions, and partly funded by the US National Institutes of WHAT DID THE STUDY FIND?When someone has cancer, their tumors release small bits of genetic material into the bloodstream. The researchers discovered that this material can show up in blood samples long before any signs of illness appear."We were surprised to find cancer signals in the blood so early. Finding cancer three years earlier gives us a chance to treat it before it spreads,' said Dr. Yuxuan Wang, one of the study team used blood samples from a large health study called ARIC, which has tracked people's heart and health data for many looked at blood from 52 people:26 people who were later diagnosed with cancer26 people who stayed cancer-freeOut of these, 8 people showed signs of cancer in their blood using a special lab test called MCED (Multicancer Early Detection). All 8 of these people were diagnosed with cancer within four months after their blood was 6 of those cases, researchers went back and checked older blood samples from the same people, taken more than three years before the diagnosis. In 4 of those cases, cancer markers were already present even back DOES THIS MEAN?The study highlights that a simple blood test might one day be able to spot cancer early, giving doctors and patients more time to act.'This kind of early detection could improve treatment and save lives," said Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos, one of the senior the researchers stated that they need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Breakthrough blood test detects cancer years before symptoms appear
Scientists have developed a 'highly sensitive' blood test that could detect signs of cancerous tumours years before the first symptoms appear, an advance that could lead to better treatment outcomes for patients. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University in the US found that genetic material shed by tumours can be detected in the bloodstream much before patients get their first diagnosis. The study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, found that these genetic mutations caused by cancer, can be detected in the blood 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 study co-author Yuxuan Wang. In the research, scientists assessed blood plasma samples collected from participants of a large NIH-funded study to investigate risk factors for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. Researchers developed highly accurate and sensitive genome sequencing techniques to analyse blood samples from 52 of the earlier study's participants. Twenty-six of the participants were diagnosed with cancer within six months after sample collection, and 26 who were not diagnosed served as the control group for comparison. Eight of the 52 participants scored positively in a multicancer early detection (MCED) laboratory test conducted at the time their blood samples were taken. The MCED test is designed to detect multiple cancers in their early stages from a single blood sample by analysing cancer-signature molecules in the blood, including DNA and proteins. All eight were diagnosed with cancer within four months following blood collection. For six of these 8 participants, additional blood samples were collected about 3 to 3.5 years before cancer diagnosis. In four of these cases, mutations linked to tumour growth could be identified in their earlier blood samples. The findings point to 'the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early', researchers say. It may lead to more standardised blood tests to screen people either annually or every two years, which could boost early detection and prevent cancers from becoming treatment-resistant tumours. 'These results demonstrate that it is possible to detect circulating tumour DNA more than three years prior to clinical diagnosis, and provide benchmark sensitivities required for this purpose,' scientists wrote. 'Detecting cancers years before their clinical diagnosis could help provide management with a more favourable outcome,' said Nickolas Papadopoulos, another author of the study. Scientists hope the findings can be validated in a larger-scale trial involving more participants.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Cancer could be detected three years before diagnosis with experimental blood test
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say they have uncovered an advanced method for detecting cancer. A new study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery and partly funded by the National Institutes of Health, found that genetic material shed by tumors can be detected in the bloodstream three years prior to a cancer diagnosis. The researchers analyzed plasma samples from a large Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study to assess risk factors for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, according to a press release. Blood samples were analyzed from 26 participants who were diagnosed with cancer within six months of sample collection, and 26 who were not diagnosed with cancer. Out of these 52 participants, eight scored positively on a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) lab test and were diagnosed with cancer within four months following blood collection. MCED tests are an experimental type of cancer screening that looks for signs of multiple types of cancer at the same time, according to the American Cancer Society. These signs may include pieces of DNA, RNA or proteins from abnormal cells. For six of these eight individuals, researchers were able to assess additional blood samples that were collected 3.1 to 3.5 years prior to diagnosis. In four samples, researchers identified tumor-derived mutations (genetic alterations within cancer cells). Lead study author Yuxuan Wang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, shared in a statement that investigators were surprised by the outcomes. "Three years earlier provides time for intervention," she said. "The tumors are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable." For more Health articles, visit Senior study author Bert Vogelstein, MD, Clayton Professor of Oncology and co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins, said the study shows "the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early, and sets the benchmark sensitivities required for their success." Detecting cancer years before a clinical diagnosis could help "provide management with a more favorable outcome," noted senior author Nickolas Papadopoulos, PhD, professor of oncology and Ludwig Center investigator. "Of course, we need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers," he added. Fox News Digital reached out to Johns Hopkins for comment.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
New blood test can detect cancer 3 years before you start showing symptoms
Want to B-positive about your health? Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a cutting-edge blood test that can detect signs of cancer three years before any symptoms surface. The breakthrough could help doctors diagnose cancer long before today's screening tools allow, giving patients a better shot at beating the disease. Advertisement 3 Blood-based screening could one day compliment existing screening methods. Vadim – 'Three years earlier provides time for intervention,' Dr. Yuxuan Wang, an assistant professor of oncology and lead researcher of the study, said in a statement. 'The tumors are likely to be much less advanced and more likely to be curable,' she added. For the study, Wang and her colleagues analyzed blood samples from 52 people involved in a large National Institutes of Health-funded research project on cardiovascular health. Advertisement Half were later diagnosed with cancer within six months of giving blood. The rest stayed cancer-free. The researchers ran the samples through a multicancer early detection (MCED) test, which uses ultra-sensitive sequencing to hunt for tiny shards of mutated DNA that tumors leak into the bloodstream. It detected signs of cancer in 8 of the 26 future patients. Advertisement 3 Cancerous tumors shed genetic material into the bloodstream. Sebastian Kaulitzki – But here's the kicker: Six of those patients had older blood samples on file — and in four of them, early signs of cancer were already lurking more than three years before their diagnosis. 'This study shows the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early, and sets the benchmark sensitivities required for their success,' said senior author Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a professor of oncology and co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins. Advertisement Right now, no MCED tests are fully approved by the FDA for widespread use, though some are commercially available under looser rules as Laboratory Developed Tests. While MCED tests aren't intended to replace standard screenings, experts say they could play an important role in spotting cancers earlier — especially those, like colon cancer, that are often diagnosed at advanced stages. 3 Several companies are developing MCED blood tests. Alexander Raths – 'Detecting cancers years before their clinical diagnosis could help provide management with a more favourable outcome,' said Nickolas Papadopoulos, a professor of oncology and senior author of the study. 'Of course, we need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers,' he added. Among the eight participants whose cancers the MCED test detected months before diagnosis, five died from the disease — underscoring how deadly cancer can be when caught too late. For example, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 99% when detected early, but drops to less than 32% once the disease has spread, according to the American Cancer Society. Advertisement Excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, the group estimates more than 2 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the US in 2025 — with over 618,000 people expected to die from the disease. That breaks down to roughly 1,700 deaths every single day.
