A universal test capable of early detection of all types of cancer. A discovery that would be diagnosed well in advance, saving thousands of lives
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousA universal test capable of early detection of all types of cancer. A discovery that would be diagnosed well in advance, saving thousands of lives
Il cancer it is a disease that has different forms and can affect many organs and tissues of the body. It is often difficult to detect it early because symptoms only appear in advanced stages. However, a new test could detect the presence of cancer well in advance and enormous health benefits.
According to an Australian research group (University of Queensland), which has seen the preliminary results of its study published in Nature, a universal test could be the key to anticipating cancer. It would be a very simple system thanks to which to identify any type of tumor starting from a blood or tissue sample.
What the test looks for are specific traces present in free circulating DNA (cfDNA) that would always be present in most cancers. It is therefore a question of looking for tumor markers within the DNA starting from the assumption that cancer cells also die and disintegrate, leaving traces of their presence in the body that must be disposed of, ending up for example in the blood but also in other tissues.
The challenge, however, was above all to find something that cancer cells of different species or different types of cancer had in common. The study made it possible to find particular groupings of molecules that would always be traced back to cancer. By inserting them into a particular solution, the researchers could see that the DNA of these cells tended to clump together and bond with gold molecules.
Then, thanks to a litmus test that changed color, they were able to evaluate the cases in which the DNA led back to the presence of cancer. The experiment was conducted on 200 tissue samples from healthy or tumor cells. In 90% of cases, the test correctly identified the presence of cancer.
Naturally, this is an experimental phase of research and the test still needs to be studied in the best possible way to verify its complete reliability, perhaps even improving the percentage of positive results.
However, it seems that these researchers are well on their way to diagnosing cancer quickly and easily. However, it is important to underline that this test will never be able to tell where the tumor is and how serious it is, which is why all the other more detailed diagnostic systems will always remain operational.
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