The development of a new DNA test capable of diagnosing 18 types of cancer in its early stages has been announced in London. According to scientists, the research results suggest that this new screening test could help detect skin cancer.
The study, published in the BMJ Oncology journal, indicates that the test can identify multiple specific differences related to gender in cancer, including age, types of cancer, and genetic variations, when cancer is developing in men and women.
Currently, one in every six deaths worldwide is attributed to cancer, and 60% of these deaths result from types of cancer that have not been diagnosed. The current screening tests have some negative effects, such as spreading and low accuracy in the initial stages of the disease among patients.
Where specific blood proteins can be used as indicators for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, researchers claim that the available tests relying on these proteins cannot distinguish between cancer-affected proteins and unaffected proteins with sensitivity.
In this new research, scientists gathered samples of plasma from 440 individuals affected by 18 different types of cancer before treatment. Additionally, samples were collected from 40 healthy blood donors. Subsequently, scientists measured more than 3,000 proteins related to cancer chemical pathways in each sample.
Researchers pursued a two-sided approach, first diagnosing any vital signs of cancer and then identifying the original tissues and subtypes of cancer after the diagnosis of biological markers for cancer.