Recent News: Simple Blood Test can detect cancers before formation of tumor

On my way home from the grocery store, I heard the exciting news on NPR, and decided to do some of my own research on the topic.

Based on www.Oncoimmune.com, there are about 215,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Moreover, 161,800 of the affected individuals die on a yearly basis. Lung cancer kills more individuals than breast, colon, kidney, prostate and melanoma cancers combined. As we've all heard over and over again, early detection is key for the treatment and survival of the diagnosed individual.

In Britain, scientist John Robertson has spent the past 15 years at the University of Nottingham, developing a simple blood test that can detect presence of cancer 5-6 years prior to the development of a tumor. Dr. John Robertson explains that detection of cancers will start before the patient feels any symptoms, which usually occur after majority of the tumor has developed. Current screening methods detect already present tumors, after patients come in with specific symptoms; and often it is too late to take significant measures. This is how this new blood test differs. Oncimmune, the blood test, uses only 10mL of blood to detect signals of cancer before it significantly develops.

The science behind it is very well explained on the website. But long story made short:

Cancer cells release byproducts called antigens, early on, during the development of the tumor. Our immune system detects and fights off these antigens by releasing great amounts of autoantibodies. It is important to note that the immune system, in normal cases, does not produce antibodies against normal body tissues, and therefore the detection of autoantibodies is specific to antigens produced by cancerous tissues. The Oncimmune test measures a panel of autoantibodies associated with a particular type of cancer and provides an early diagnosis of a cancer patient.

A specific oncimmune test is the Early CDT-Lung, which assesses the risk of a given individual to develop lung cancer. Early CDT-Lung measures autoantibodies specific to lung cancer.

So, what does this all mean? Well, for one, the development of this test brings hope to better the outcomes of cancer patients by early detection. Personally, when I hear the word cancer, it brings with it a feeling of termination. However, I hope that these tests will provide promising results and hopefully change the outlook on cancer. By early detection, survival rates will most likely increase, and will hopefully reduce the fear that comes along with the diagnosis of cancer.

Cheers to Dr. Robertson and to a better medicine!