A simple blood test that can be used to diagnose cancer has been developed by researchers. The test could allow doctors to rule out the existence of cancer in patients presenting certain symptoms, thus saving time and preventing expensive and unwanted invasive procedures such as colonoscopy and biopsy.
Researchers at the University of Bradford have developed a simple blood test that could be used to diagnose cancer. The test could allow doctors to rule out the existence of cancer in patients presenting certain symptoms, thus saving time and preventing expensive and unwanted invasive procedures such as colonoscopy and biopsy. In addition, it could also be a useful tool for detecting types of cancer that are currently difficult to diagnose.
Early results showed that the method provides a high level of accuracy in diagnosing cancer and pre-cancerous conditions from blood samples of patients with melanoma, colon cancer and lung cancer. The research findings were published online in the scientific journal FASEB Journal, which is the American journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
The new test, known as 'Lymphocyte Genome Sensitivity' (LGS), examines white blood cells while measuring the damage caused to their DNA following their exposure to varying intensities of ultraviolet radiation, radiation known to damage DNA. The results of the empirical study demonstrated a clear difference between the damage to the white blood cells taken from patients with cancer, patients with pre-cancerous conditions and healthy patients.
Professor Diana Anderson, from the University's School of Life Sciences and the lead researcher of the study, said: "White blood cells are part of the body's natural defense system. We know that while they are fighting cancer or other diseases they are under stress, so I was wondering if we could get a testable measure after exposing them to additional stress in the form of ultraviolet radiation. We found that people with cancer have DNA that is more easily damaged by ultraviolet radiation, compared to other people, so our test shows the sensitivity to the damage caused to the entire DNA - the genome - inside the cell."
The study examined the blood samples taken from 208 people. 94 healthy people were recruited for the study from staff and students at the University of Bradford, and 114 blood samples were collected from people referred to specialist clinics at Bradford Royal Infirmary, prior to their diagnosis and treatment. The samples were coded, anonymized and randomized, then exposed to ultraviolet radiation through five different depths of agar. The extent of the damage from the ultraviolet radiation was observed in the form of pieces of DNA that were drawn in an electric field towards the positive end of the field, creating a comet-like trail. The longer the comet was, the greater the damage to the DNA, when the measurements were adjusted for people who were eventually diagnosed with cancer (58), as having pre-cancerous conditions (56) and healthy (94).
"These are only early results obtained for three different types of cancer, and we are aware that more research is required in this area; At the same time, the results obtained so far are noteworthy," said the lead researcher. "Although the number of subjects tested, from an epidemiological point of view, is quite low, at the level of molecular epidemiology, the results are extremely significant. We detected significant differences between healthy volunteers and people suspected of having cancer, and we verified a group of cancer patients of different ages at a statistical significance level of P<0.001, meaning - the probability that these results are coincidental is 1 in 1000. We believe that this result strengthens the possibility of using the test ours as a diagnostic tool." The lead researcher believes that if the new test proves to be an effective diagnostic tool for cancer detection, it will be an important addition to the more traditional diagnostic procedures for cancer detection.
[Translation: Dr. Nachmani Moshe]
The news about the study
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Nice, but the question arises whether the test will be able to indicate the type of cancer that develops. If not, it will be necessary to start a long and drawn-out series of tests to determine where the cancer is actually developing.
It should be noted that a colonoscopy is able to detect a polyp in a pre-cancerous stage and with its removal can completely prevent the development of cancer, without the need for chemotherapy, radiation, etc.
Well done, a beautiful solution that originates from creative thinking, and also a proper double blind experiment to prevent mistakes.
Really nice, let's hope that the test will soon be accessible to everyone.