A examine published this week in Science studies promising outcomes of a blood take a look at designed to detect eight widespread most cancers sorts by measuring circulating proteins and mutations in cell-free DNA. The examine comes from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Most cancers Middle at Johns Hopkins and has created numerous buzz. We requested J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, M.D., MACP, deputy chief medical officer to share his ideas concerning the examine.
“The examine reported this week on the potential of cell free DNA offering another choice for the early detection of most cancers represents elegant science. It’s yet another step down what we anticipate to be a protracted path of discovery to find out if this method just isn’t solely efficient at early detection however, way more necessary, additionally improves outcomes for these recognized with most cancers.
“The take a look at is certainly one of a number of approaches with an analogous deal with the early detection of most cancers. Which checks will obtain this aim just isn’t sure right now.
“It is very important keep in mind that it’s one factor to advance the science and the know-how; nonetheless it’s one thing completely totally different to show that the take a look at will really make a distinction in saving lives. However the outcomes of this examine in sufferers who’ve already been recognized with most cancers, it’s potential that we could discover that the take a look at will discover cancers early and we received’t be capable of precisely decide the place the most cancers got here from. Or we could be taught that merely discover these cancers early could not make remedy simpler or affect lives to the diploma we had hoped for. These are solutions we’d like.
“In easier phrases: we now have a protracted method to go to show the utility and worth of this take a look at. We can not make assumptions concerning the flexibility of this take a look at to detect most cancers early based mostly on this examine. We’d like further analysis (which is being undertaken) to show that it’s potential to seek out most cancers alerts within the blood of sufferers earlier than it’s in any other case recognized they’ve cancers. These research are shifting ahead right now.
“We’ve made assumptions previously concerning the skill of blood checks to diagnose most cancers early with—for instance–checks for prostate and colon cancers. The prostate most cancers expertise ought to train us that we have to show worth and utility earlier than we once more topic doubtlessly thousands and thousands of individuals to probably pointless medical procedures and remedy which finally haven’t essentially improved the size or the standard of their years.”