Dive Brief:
- The UK Early Cancer Detection Consortium (ECDC) has uncovered more than 800 cancer-specific markers in the blood. This finding could potentially lead to development of a single, universal blood test for early detection of cancer.
- The ECDC "discovered" these biomarkers by reviewing 19,000 scientific papers.
- The implications of a blood test that facilitates early detection of cancer include the opportunity to treat cancers in the early, nascent stages, thus leading to better treatment outcomes and survival statistics.
Dive Insight:
The holy grail of diagnostics in general is early detection---something that is especially important for patients with cancer. Across the board, earlier diagnosis equates to better outcomes.
The scientists at the ECDC are continuing to refine their findings and to gain better insight into which of the biomarkers they have uncovered are best for detecting cancer. The goal of Cancer Research UK is to foster a paradigm wherein three out of ever four cancer patients will survive at least 10 years after their diagnosis within the next 20 years.