Blood Test for Detecting Cancer

Scientists Lead a Step Ahead in a Blood Test for Detecting Cancer

Health

Researches state that they have taken a step further in developing a blood test, which would be capable of detecting eight common cancers, probably even before appearance of symptoms. In the Journal Science they report on Thursday that they are looking forward to the idea of theirs’, which will gradually be leading to almost $500 test that be able to screen for cancer and determine people with the disease just when it’s in it much pre stage and is curable.

But they do say that they have a long way to go. Over the decades there have been several attempts for developing blood tests in order to screen for cancers. Few search for proteins available in the blood that gets revealed with cancer. Lately others have focused more on DNA from tumours. But all these methods alone don’t give much reliable outcomes.

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The scientists at the Hopkins have already released their next study that could apparently held tens of thousands of volunteers, those who are enrolled in Pennsylvania’s Geisinger Health Plan. Their experience while undergoing the study will help answer big question, and that is whether Cancer SEEK will be plucking cancer within individuals that do not come with symptoms.

If the experiment performed under multiyear proves to be a success then researchers will further have to demonstrate that the test enhances and also stretches the life span of the cancer patients. Nicholas Papadopoulos, a professor of pathology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center is less concerned about the test that it could detect cancers, which in fact may not benefit from the treatment.  Yet he adds that still it’s a helpful information to know that something is proceeding and keeping up with it.

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As far as the cost of the test is concerned, Papadopoulos tells that the research team has tried their level best to make it affordable. They are further hoping in making it economical, just so that each of the tests may cost around $500. But he also states that John s Hopkins holds its patent and hasn’t yet licensed it to a company, which would be setting the pricing ultimately.