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Soon medics will be able to diagnose cancer from a blood test
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
The latest method of blood testing has been proposed by American biology experts representing the University of California in San Diego. The cutting-edge analysis will allow for the timely detection of malignant cell elements in the patient's circulatory system, and even indicate the specific location of the neoplasm.
"Yes, we do not hide the fact that we came to this discovery by chance," the scientists comment on the situation. "We have traditionally looked for additional ways to detect malignant cells in human tissues, and hoped to determine the relationship between their appearance. But when we discovered specific chemical signals from healthy cellular structures, we realized that their combination gives us the opportunity to determine the presence of oncology and its location," explained the situation Dr. Kun Zhang.
Every year, a huge number of people die as a result of cancer. About 90% of fatal cases are a consequence of late diagnosis of the tumor, when cancer is at a stage at which medicine is no longer able to help with anything.
Taking into account the existing problem, scientists in recent years have begun to develop all sorts of cutting-edge methods of preclinical diagnostics of oncological pathology. It is very important to detect the disease before the onset of the stage of clinical manifestations and the spread of metastases. For example, several years ago, medical specialists from leading European and American clinics developed a method for determining oncology using a blood test. Moreover, the accuracy of such a determination is 100%. Indeed, such an analysis turned out to be very effective, but it could not provide information on the location of the malignant lesion.
In the new study, scientists took into account the fact that any tissue in the human body has a strictly individual set of epigenetic markers - chemical groups that stimulate and inactivate genes. The researchers counted these markers on elements of seeded cancer cells from ten types of body tissues. Such markers are easy to find, as well as to determine their number: however, these simple calculations will help to establish the localization of the oncological process.
Specialists will soon improve the new method of blood analysis, after which it can be used in diagnostic centers and clinics. Doctors are confident that the innovation in the field of diagnostics will help to accurately and promptly detect cancer processes at the initial stage of development, which will help save the lives of many thousands of people.
It is assumed that the newly developed method will help to determine the location of oncology development with an accuracy of 80 to 90%, regardless of the presence of metastases. Such conclusions were made after testing blood samples taken from several dozen cancer patients who were undergoing anti-cancer treatment at the University of California hospital.
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