A new blood test could pick up on more than 20 different types of cancer, research suggests. Harvard University scientists created a test that looks for genetic changes associated with the development of tumours. When tried on nearly 3,600 blood samples, it correctly identified cancer patients in 99.4 per cent of cases, with just 0.6 per cent being misdiagnoses. The scientists hope their test will allow patients to be diagnosed and treated sooner, boosting their chance of success. It is unclear when it may be available.
The test looks for abnormal methylation, a process which occurs when so-called methyl groups are added to a DNA molecule. Methylation controls whether a gene is 'on' or 'off', with certain variations being associated with cancer. Methylated DNA gets shed by cancer cells into the bloodstream when a tumour dies. Existing 'liquid biopsies' detect genetic mutations or other cancer-related changes to DNA. Health ministers have pledged for three quarters of cancer patients to be diagnosed at stage one or two by 2028. Britain ranks bottom of international league tables for cancer survival, two decades behind some countries. This week an independent review of NHS cancer screening is set to warn 'confusion and delays' is costing lives.The review reportedly calls for Public Health England to be stripped of its role in overseeing diagnoses. When diagnosed early, cancer tumours are smaller and have not spread. Once the disease has metastasised, treatment becomes more difficult. When it comes to bowel cancer, nine of 10 patients will survive more than five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage, Cancer Research UK statistics show. And more than 90 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage live for at least five years compared to around 15 per cent diagnosed at the most advanced stage.
