Could a blood test diagnose cancer?

Could a new blood test actually diagnose cancer? 

Yes, a simple blood test could diagnose cancer.  In fact, the blood test may also be able to establish how advanced the cancer is as well. A group of medical researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California just announced that they have developed an examination to diagnose cancer.  It specifically can be used to check the levels of tumor DNA in a subject’s bloodstream which will alert doctors of the size of the tumor as well as how it’s reacting to treatment.

Dr. Maximilian Diehn, assistant professor of radiation oncology, said: “We set out to develop a method that overcomes two major hurdles in the circulating tumor DNA field.”  The investigative team believes this new test could be used specifically to aid in the treatment of breast, lung and prostate cancer. 

Could a blood test diagnose cancer?

Diehn elaborated on their results just published in the journal Nature Medicine: “First, the technique needs to be very sensitive to detect the very small amounts of tumor DNA present in the blood.  Second, to be clinically useful it’s necessary to have a test that works off the shelf for the majority of patients with a given cancer.”

They expect the test will be used to screen both healthy and at-risk patients for signs of cancer.  It is also reported to be capable of identifying if different types of cancers are building up a resistance to any given treatment thus giving physicians the opportunity to change the type of treatment they are giving a patient.

Diehn continues: “If we can monitor the evolution of the tumor, and see the appearance of treatment-resistant subclones, we could potentially add or switch therapies to target these cells.  It’s also possible we could use (the test called) CAPP-Seq to identify subsets of early stage patients who could benefit most from additional treatment after surgery or radiation, such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy.  It may be possible to develop assays that could simultaneously screen for multiple cancers. This would include diseases such as breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancer, for example.”

Dr Ash Alizadeh, assistant professor of medicine, noted: “We’re trying to develop a general method to detect and measure disease burden. Blood cancers like leukemias can be easier to monitor than solid tumors through ease of access to the blood.”  He concluded: “By developing a general method for monitoring circulating tumor DNA, we’re in effect trying to transform solid tumors into liquid tumors that can be detected and tracked more easily.”

Could a blood test diagnose cancer?

 (Image courtesy of Desbaguncando)