Researchers develop ‘universal’ test for cancer
Early results show potential for cancer blood test
Researchers from the University of Bradford in England have devised a blood test that can be used to detect whether or not a patient has cancer.
Developed earlier this year, the test would allow doctors to rule out cancer in patients who present certain symptoms, which in turn would save time and money on invasive procedures, such as colonoscopies and biopsies. The test will also be beneficial in patients who are thought to have a type of cancer that is hard to diagnose.
Dubbed The Lymphocyte Genome Sensitivity (LGS) test, it looks at white blood cells and measures the damage caused to their DNA when subjected to different intensities of ultraviolet light, known to damage DNA.
“White blood cells are part of the body’s natural defence system,” Professor Diana Anderson, who led the research, said in a statement. “We know that they are under stress when they are fighting cancer or other diseases, so I wondered whether anything measurable could be seen if we put them under further stress with UVA light. We found that people with cancer have DNA which is more easily damaged by ultraviolet light than other people, so the test shows the sensitivity to damage of all the DNA – the genome – in a cell.”
Early research shows that the new testing has a high degree of accuracy in diagnosing melanoma, colon cancer, and lung cancer, as well as their pre-cancerous counterparts. “These are early results completed on three different types of cancer and we accept that more research needs to be done; but these results are so far remarkable,” Anderson said.
Further links:
Chron.com
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