A great step of science is a great step for humanity
A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins University (USA) has developed a new technology to obtain blood samples, through a new test called CancerSEEK that allows early detection of eight types of cancer and even identify where the cancer cells are located. tumors, which is a great step forward for medicine.
According to the researchers, the so-called CancerSEEK, has the potential to change the way of early detection of the disease. The test looks for mutations in 16 genes and calculates the levels of eight proteins generally released in cancer patients. In the study, whose results were published in the journal Science, involved 1,005 patients with pre-diagnosed cancer of ovaries, lung, liver, colorectal, pancreas, stomach, esophagus and breast. The ability of the test to detect the disease was successful in 70 percent of the cases. In 83 percent of the cases, the test could even help pinpoint exactly where the cancer was developing. For five of these cancers (ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreas, and esophagus), today there are no screening tests available for people at average risk.
The associate professor of oncology and biostatistics Cristian Tomasetti stressed that the test is unique because it looks for mutated proteins and genes. "A novelty of our method is that it combines the probability of observing several DNA mutations along with the levels of several proteins to make the last warning," he explained. It will be a fundamental test to reduce deaths from cancer. According to the projections of the specialists, the use of CancerSEEK will detect cancer before the onset of symptoms. Oncology professor Bert Vogelstein said the test does not detect all cancers, but it does identify many cancers that would not otherwise be detected, so the new test could be "a big step toward early detection" of cancer. the disease and, as a result, save many lives.
The new blood test costs $ 500, but before starting to sell the technology, the specialists intend to conduct more research to check its effectiveness in patients who have not yet detected the disease.
