A “GROUNDBREAKING” new blood test can spot deadly cancers in under two hours, a study shows.
The £2.60 LINE-1-ORF1p test can detect a specific protein that identifies multiple cancers early before symptoms are present, researchers found.
GettyA new cancer blood test can spot several forms of the disease in under two hours, researchers have found[/caption]
Unlike cancer tests that rely on tissue sampling or are limited to one type of the disease, the new diagnostic is low-cost and can spot different cancer types, they said.
Professor Michael Rout, of the Rockefeller University, said: “The assay has groundbreaking potential as an early diagnostic test for lethal cancers.
“These kinds of ultrasensitive detection instruments are poised to improve patient outcomes in transformative ways.”
Dr Martin Taylor, of Massachusetts General Hospital, said: “We were shocked by how well this test worked across cancer types.”
LINE-1-ORF1p is a cancer biomarker that came on to scientists’ radars around 10 years ago, after researchers spotted the protein is higher in people with most cancers.
These include oesophagus, colon, lung, breast, prostate, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, and head and neck cancers, which kill tens of thousands of Brits a year.
Researchers have now developed a test that can look for the protein in blood, which they hope could lead to the diseases being caught earlier when they are more treatable.
The study, published in Cancer Discovery, looked at how accurate the tests are.
The team analysed blood samples of 400 healthy adults aged 20 to 90 who had donated blood to the Mass General Brigham Biobank.
LINE-1-ORF1p was only detectable in five of them and the person with the highest level was found to have advanced prostate cancer five months later.
Researchers also looked at how well the tests worked on a chemical level, finding it was highly accurate at detecting the protein in samples from patients with a variety of cancers.
The tests could also be used to monitor how well patients are responding to cancer treatments, researchers said.
Dr John LaCava, of the Rockefeller University, said: “During a healthy time in your life, you could have your ORF1p levels measured to establish a baseline.
“Then your doctor would just keep an eye out for any spikes in ORF1p levels, which could be indicative of a change in your state of health.
“While there might be some minor ORF1p fluctuations here and there, a spike would be a cause for a deeper investigation.”