The new findings could kick-start a new generation of screening tests.
Scientists have developed a revolutionary DNA test that could catch 18 different cancers in their early stages, across all major organs. This breakthrough, published in BMJ Oncology, could usher in a new era of cancer screening.
The test is particularly promising for its ability to detect sex-specific differences in cancers, offering tailored insights for men and women. This is crucial, as cancer often strikes differently between genders.
Currently, one in six deaths worldwide is due to cancer, and 60% of those deaths lack reliable screening tests. Existing methods are invasive, expensive, and often ineffective for early detection.
Writing in the journal BMJ Oncology, the team said, “This finding is the foundation for a multi-cancer screening test for the early detection of 18 solid tumors that cover all major human organs of origin for such cancers at the earliest stage of their development with high accuracy.”
They added, “This could re-shape screening guidelines, making this plasma test a standard part of routine check-ups.”
“These findings pave the way for a cost-effective, highly accurate, multi-cancer screening test that can be implemented on a population-wide scale.”
“At stage I (the earliest cancer stage) and with a specificity of 99%, our panels were able to identify 93% of cancers among males and 84% of cancers among females. Our sex-specific localisation panels consisted of 150 proteins and were able to identify the tissue of origin of most cancers in more than 80% of cases," the team wrote.
Examining the plasma protein revealed that nearly all of them were present at notably low levels. This underscores the significance of detecting low-level proteins in identifying pre-cancerous and early-stage diseases, catching them before a tumor can inflict significant damage, as emphasized by the research team.