New blood test can identify 12 different types of cancer

by Tauqeer Abbas
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The UK government is set to unveil a groundbreaking blood test aimed at detecting signs of the 12 most common cancers before symptoms arise.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a cancer survivor himself, plans to introduce this government-funded “universal” blood screening initiative within the next five years.

This innovative blood test, similar to the PCR tests widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to enhance survival rates and potentially save numerous lives annually. The development follows a significant advance reported in June, where doctors successfully used a blood test to predict the likelihood of breast cancer relapsing prior to any visible indications on scans.

This proactive approach to cancer detection could revolutionize early diagnosis and treatment, significantly impacting patient outcomes and healthcare strategies in the UK.

Speaking to The Mirror, Streeting said, “Just a couple of drops of blood could tell you if you had lung, breast or bladder cancer, helping end months-long waits for tests and scans. These innovations could be game changers.”

This test will cost each patient £120 (approx. $157) and will check the 12 most common cancers which are lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, colorectal, ovarian, liver, brain, oesophageal, bladder, bone and soft tissue sarcoma, and gastric.

The scheme has been provided £2.5 million ($3.28 million) worth of funding by the UK government through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

A startup company Xgenera has been set up by the scientists to help the scheme in rolling out, which they claimed has “potential to save millions of lives”.

Every year, more than 320,000 people are diagnosed with prostate, breast, bowel and lung cancers.

According to experts, nearly 40,000 cancers had gone undiagnosed in the first year of the pandemic.

As of now, screening programmes are among the most effective ways of detecting early-stage cancers.

Source: Dunya News 

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