Blood Test That Detects Cancer Before Symptoms Appear Could Be Ready by 2020
Scientists are developing a universal blood screening test that can diagnose tumors a decade before symptoms become manifest. The blood test will not only accurately detect the earliest signs of all kinds of cancer in people who appear healthy, but it will also identify where it is in the body.
The prospect was introduced by U.S. startup Grail in Chicago during the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, which happened to be the biggest cancer conference. Backed by a $100 million grant from Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and Amazon internet chief Jeff Bezos, the company is envisioning to tap the blood for early diagnosis to catch tumors.
These tumors have a habit of shedding bits of DNA that end up in the blood. Using the latest advances in genetic sequencing technology, Grail is identifying those shreds of DNA and has developed a less invasive, less expensive alternative to tissue samples — "liquid biopsies."
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Researchers are looking at clinical trials in the next three to five years. If successful, this generation can look forward to the time when they can have an all-encompassing blood test that would cover monitoring of sugar and cholesterol levels as well as cancer test as part of their annual health check.
Aside from replacing painful biopsies in cancer-detection, this super-screening test could revolutionize treatment. The most responsive treatment for cancer occurs at the earliest stages when symptoms haven't appeared. An early detection test could thus bring survival rates from all types of cancer to well over 90 percent.
Grail's study is different from another type of blood test being looked at to detect breast cancer. Oxford University is developing a metal-detecting screening procedure that can spot high levels of "heavy" zinc in the blood. This simple and inexpensive test detects cancer cells earlier than X-rays and mammograms, rendering those instruments useless.
