A new ultra-sensitive blood test can tell if breast cancer will come back years before regular scans can.
This changes how early treatment and prevention work.
(Photo: Unsplash/ Hush Naidoo Jade Photography )
Breakthrough in Early Detection
The London Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has made a blood test that is very specific and can find breast cancer returns earlier than usual. This test finds very small amounts of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood, meaning treatment can start earlier and work better.
Professor Kristian Helin, CEO of the ICR, stressed how important it is to find breast cancer early so that it can be treated more easily. He said that early findings help patients live longer.
Unlike older blood tests, which only examined certain parts of cancer cells, the new test examines the whole cancer genome. This thorough method finds more cancerous cells faster.
Lead author Dr. Isaac Garcia-Murillas stressed the need for a more accurate test for people with breast cancer who are still in the early stages. He said that these people had very low amounts of blood cancer DNA.
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Results That Look Good and Possible Uses in the Future
In a study of 78 women with different types of breast cancer, the new blood test found cancerous cells before normal scans showed any signs of recurrence in 11 of them. The test indicated relapses three months earlier than usual; in one case, it found a recurrence 41 months early.
When the cancer was first found, after chemotherapy, after surgery, and every month for five years, blood tests were taken. The test is correct.
It found every patient who returned and didn't give any false negatives. This level of accuracy could change how breast cancer is tracked and treated after it has been treated.
Dr. Simon Vincent, Director of Research for Breast Cancer Now, said that the study's first results show that it might be possible to detect a return of breast cancer more than a year before signs show up. Breast Cancer Now helped pay for the test.
If cancer is found early, treatment can start sooner, which may prevent it from progressing to a point where it cannot be cured. The test finds ctDNA in the bloodstream from cancer cells that have survived surgery and other treatments.
"These cells can cause breast cancer relapse many years after treatment," said Garcia-Murillas.
With an ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy, whole genome sequencing looks for 1,800 mutations, up from 16 to 50, with older methods. This in-depth look lets the test find any remaining disease before it's too late.
This technology affects more than just breast cancer. The study improves tracking after treatment, possibly leading to longer cancer treatments. Neoplants' long-term goals include making trees better at capturing CO2 and making seeds that can survive in dry conditions to fight global warming.
As with any new medical technology, more tests and studies are needed to confirm these results and make the test more widely available. But early discovery has a great chance of saving lives.
Over 2 million people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, making it the most common cancer in the world. We need more innovations like these.
This blood test has made it easier to find cancer and start treatment. Finding cancer early increases the chance of survival and stresses the need for medical study.
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