Research Breakthrough: We May Soon Detect Cancer Seven Years in Advance!

A study of over 44,000 people has led scientists to believe that specific proteins in the blood could warn people of cancer more than seven years before it is typically diagnosed.

“The data are impressive – finding evidence of cancer before it has manifested itself clinically provides a critical window of opportunity to treat with a greater chance for success, or even more importantly to achieve the holy grail of preventing cancer before it can even occur,” says Mark Lawler, the chair in translational cancer genomics and professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast.

Scientists from the University of Oxford studied blood samples of over 44,000 people, some of whom went on to be diagnosed with cancer and others of whom did not. Eventually, 618 proteins were identified that were linked to different cancers, including colon, lung, and liver cancer, among others. Though further research is needed, the scientists involved in the study believe that detecting these proteins could potentially be used to warn a patient of cancer much earlier than ever before and even provide new treatment options. Most likely, the study will help in the early diagnosis of high-risk individuals and could even provide greater insight as to what factors are responsible for causing cancer.