Posted on 05/31/2010 3:29:55 PM PDT by Steelfish
June 1, 2010 Oncimmune Develop Simple Blood Test For Early Detection of Cancer
Sam Lister, Health Editor
A simple blood test that can detect a cancer before a tumour has taken shape has been developed by British scientists. Due to be introduced in Britain by early next year, it is described as offering a “paradigm shift” in cancer diagnosis.
The test is the first to identify accurately the signals sent out by a person’s immune system as a cancer germinates. Research suggests that such signals can be detected up to five years before a tumour is spotted, priming doctors to intervene at the earliest moment when a solid cancer appears.
Scientists described the test, devised initially for lung cancer, as a means of tackling the country’s poor record of early diagnosis and disease survival. Detection of lung, pancreas and gullet cancers is often so late that it acts as little more than confirmation of imminent death.
Physical symptoms — the most common trigger for treatment — often will not appear until two thirds of the way through the cancer’s development. In the case of lung disease, the tumour can already be the size of a tennis ball. Even the earliest screening detection is only picking up the cancer after more than 20 cell divisions, while death normally comes after about 40.
The new test, developed after 15 years of research by clinicians in Nottingham, and in Kansas, is to be introduced in America later this month. Initially it will help screen smokers at high risk of lung cancer, alongside conventional screening.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
I can’t really understand why a reliable cancer test hasn’t been available or why doctors usually jump to the biopsy.
Chris Rock on the facade$ of medical care.
One key criteria in evaluating all these tests: the rate of false positives?
Is this test specific to a certain type of cancer? Can it be tuned to recognize lung cancer from colon cancer? A blood test that only tells you that you have a cancer somewhere that will become evident in two or three years may cause more angst than it’s worth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.