Extract
Researchers have developed a test that could be used to diagnose all cancers. It is based on a unique DNA signature that appears to be common across cancer types.
The test has yet to be conducted on humans, and clinical trials are needed before we know for sure if it can be used in the clinic.
Each cancer type, whether it be breast or bowel cancer, has different genetic and other features. A test that detects one cancer may not work on another. Researchers have long been looking for a commonality among cancers to develop a diagnostic tool that could apply across all types.
Our research, published in the journal Nature Communications, has found that cancer DNA forms a unique structure when placed in water. The structure is the same in DNA from samples of breast, prostate and bowel cancers, as well as lymphoma. We used this discovery to develop a test that can identify the cancerous DNA in less than ten minutes. How our test works Current detection of cancer requires a tissue biopsy — a surgical procedure to collect tissue from the patient’s tumour. Researchers have been looking for a less invasive diagnostic test that can detect cancers at an earlier stage. One possibility, still in development, is a liquid biopsy, testing for circulating cancer DNA in the blood. Our test also uses circulating cancer DNA but involves a different detection method. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA, but studies have found that cancer’s progression causes this DNA to undergo considerable reprogramming. This change is particularly evident in the distrib...
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