Early cancer detection via blood test

A study suggests that a blood test could detect traces of cancer up to several months before a recurrence becomes visible on a scan. Tested on 42 patients with early-stage lung cancer, this method searches for fragments of tumor DNA in the blood.

Lung cancer recurrence concerns

After surgery for lung cancer, the end of treatment does not always mean the end of worries. Between two scans, a question remains: could the disease return before being visible? A study published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics opens a path to try to detect certain recurrences earlier, thanks to a blood analysis capable of identifying molecular traces of cancer.

Expert perspective on recurrence risk

"As a surgeon, I closely follow my patients and I want to know as soon as possible if the cancer has returned. Unfortunately, even patients with early-stage cancer risk a recurrence," explains Dr. Harvey I. Pass, a thoracic surgeon at NYU Langone Health and lead co-author of the study, in an Elsevier press release.

Recurrence risk for early-stage lung cancer

According to researchers, the risk of recurrence for stage I lung cancers ranges between 5 and 19 percent. The goal is therefore to identify the patients most at risk before the disease becomes visible on imaging.

Liquid biopsy technique

The test is based on liquid biopsy, a technique that searches for biological traces of a tumor in the blood. Researchers focused on circulating tumor DNA: tiny fragments of DNA released by cancer cells into the bloodstream.