New RNA Blood Test Helps Pinpoint Cancer Location

Providing a single drop of blood may be enough to detect, classify and pinpoint the location of cancer, according to a recent study.

From the study sample, researchers were able to identify the presence of cancer with an accuracy of 96 percent.

"Being able to detect cancer at an early stage is vital. We have studied how a whole new blood-based method of biopsy can be used to detect cancer, which in the future renders an invasive cell tissue sample unnecessary in diagnosing lung cancer, for instance," said Jonas Nilsson, cancer researcher at Umeå University and co-author of the article, in a news release. "In the study, nearly all forms of cancer were identified, which proves that blood-based biopsies have an immense potential to improve early detection of cancer."

During the study, researchers investigated how the new method of blood-based RNA tests of the part of the blood called platelets could be used to detect and classify cancer.

Researchers took blood samples from 283 individuals. From the samples, 228 showed some form of cancer, while 55 showed no evidence of cancer. Furthermore, from the 39 patients in the study in which an early detection of cancer has been made, nearly 100 percent of the cases could be identified and classified, researchers say.

A quick follow-up also showed 71 percent accuracy in identifying the origin of tumors in patients diagnosed with lung, breast, pancreas, brain, liver, colon and rectal cancers.

Blood platelets may constitute a complete and easily accessible blood-based source for sampling, researchers say. 

The study is published in the journal Cancer Cell.

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