Cancer breakthrough as blood test detects disease seven years early

A major breakthrough could make it possible to detect cancer seven years earlier than today using a simple blood test.

Researchers hope that in the future this could not only enable earlier detection and treatment, but also help prevent the disease altogether.

Two studies funded by Cancer Research UK have discovered proteins in the blood that could warn people of cancer long before current diagnosis would allow.

Scientists at the University of Oxford identified 618 proteins linked to 19 different types of cancer, including 107 proteins in a group of people whose blood was collected at least seven years before diagnosis.

The research team found that the proteins could be involved in the very early stages of cancer, where they could be avoided and could be used to detect cancer much earlier than is currently possible.

The team says this breakthrough could help treat the disease at a much earlier stage, or even prevent it altogether.

The researchers used a powerful technique called proteomics that allows them to analyze a wide range of proteins in tissue samples at any given time.

This provides insight into how they interact with each other and helps detect any significant differences in proteins between different tissue samples.

In the first study, scientists analyzed blood samples taken from more than 44,000 Britons, including more than 4,900 people who were subsequently diagnosed with cancer.

Using proteomics, the researchers analyzed a set of 1,463 proteins from a single blood sample from each person.

The team compared proteins from people who did and did not develop cancer to look for differences between them and discover which ones were linked to cancer risk.

The researchers also identified 182 proteins that differed in the blood three years before the cancer diagnosis.

Lead author of both studies, Professor Ruth Travis, said: “We now have technology that can look at thousands of proteins in thousands of cancer cases, identifying which proteins play a role in the development of specific cancers and which could have effects common to others. several types of cancer.

In the second study, the team examined genetic data from more than 300,000 cancer cases to determine which blood proteins were involved in cancer development and could be targeted by new treatments.

They discovered 40 proteins in the blood that influenced the risk of developing nine different types of cancer.

Although modifying proteins can increase or decrease cancer risks, researchers have also found that in some cases it can lead to unintended side effects.

Dr Keren Papier, co-author of the first study, said: “To save more lives from cancer, we need to better understand what happens in the early stages of the disease.”

“Data collected from thousands of people with cancer has revealed some very interesting insights into how proteins in our blood can affect our cancer risk.”

“We now need to study these proteins in depth to see which ones could be used reliably for prevention.”

However, the team says more research is needed to uncover the exact role which proteins are most reliable to test for, what tests could be developed to detect the proteins, and what drugs could target the proteins.

Dr Karl Smith-Byrne, lead author of the first paper and first author of the second study, said: “We predicted how the body might respond to drugs targeting specific proteins, including many potential side effects.

“Before any clinical trial, we have early indications of which proteins we might avoid targeting due to unintended side effects.”

“This research brings us closer to preventing cancer with targeted drugs, something once thought impossible but now much more achievable.”

Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “This requires intensive and careful research to find the molecular signals that we should pay the most attention to.

“The findings from this research are the crucial first step towards providing preventative therapies, which are the ultimate path to giving people longer, better lives, without the fear of cancer.”

The results were published in the journal Nature Communications.

MORE: This ‘quiet’ British town has been crowned best for relaxing walks

MORE: The Secrets About Your Star Sign No Astrologer Will Tell You

MORE: School sent letter highlighting boy’s poor attendance despite knowing he was seriously ill

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.