Cancer treatment is most successful when the cancer can be detected early. The earlier the better. According to Newsweek, a new screening test may be able to detect cancer faster than ever before. All the test requires is a blood sample to screen for 10 different cancers. Currently it appears most effective screening for ovarian cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Keep reading to learn more, or follow the original story here.
Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer which forms in the female ovaries. Located on either side of the uterus, ovaries are an almond-shaped organ which normally store eggs, and produce hormones. Ovarian cancer may appear in several different forms and is classified based on the location it occurs in. Ovarian cancer commonly spreads to the linings of the abdomen, bladder, and bowel as well as the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver. It has a strong genetic component but is hard to treat, largely because it’s very hard to detect until later stages of the cancer. Click here to learn about the various types of ovarian cancer
The promising screening test is what is known as a liquid biopsy. All it requires is a blood sample.
The biopsy then consists of a group of three tests to determine the presence of cancer. The test takes about two weeks for information to get back to the patient. It’s more accurate at testing for some forms of cancer than others, as noted above. It does, however, successfully detect 10 unique forms of cancer.
While further research still needs to be conducted on the liquid biopsy, the test has plenty of promise. New research will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago this Thursday (6/7/18).
If the liquid biopsy continues to post such impressive results, it will be a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.
It gives doctors an opportunity to begin treating cancer before it has a chance to spread or present symptoms in a patient’s body.
Some medical professionals even refer to it now as the “holy grail of cancer research.” Most cancers can only be detected when they are already fairly far along a progression. With earlier detection provided by liquid biopsy, there is great potential to save lives in cases that are routinely thought of as fatal in current medicine.
