A Cure for Cancer: Prevention and Early Prognosis
With the current state of modern medicine, there is no cure for any forms of cancer—only treatments. Even then, treatments are met with uncertain results: some patients are completely cured while others lose their lives during treatment. However, there is compelling evidence to support that an earlier diagnosis results in a significantly lower rate of mortality, as patients with earlier stages of cancer can either undergo surgery to remove the tumor or be given milder drugs for treatment. The average survival rate after five years following diagnosis is 91% for early stages of cancer and 26% for late stages.
Considering the significant difference in survival rates, early and accurate cancer detection has become imperative for the fight against cancer. As such, scientists have been developing the PanSeer assay, a non-invasive blood test for early cancer detection that focuses on cancer-specific methylation markers. DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic control where the addition of a methyl (CH3) group to DNA can “turn off” those genes or regions of DNA, thus changing what genes are expressed. The screening test has shown promising results, with its potential ability to detect asymptomatic cancer as early as four years before a conventional diagnosis. It is important to emphasize that the PanSeer is a screening exam, meaning it tests for the absence or presence of a disease and is unlikely to predict future development of disease.
Considering the significant difference in survival rates, early and accurate cancer detection has become imperative for the fight against cancer. As such, scientists have been developing the PanSeer assay, a non-invasive blood test for early cancer detection that focuses on cancer-specific methylation markers. DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic control where the addition of a methyl (CH3) group to DNA can “turn off” those genes or regions of DNA, thus changing what genes are expressed. The screening test has shown promising results, with its potential ability to detect asymptomatic cancer as early as four years before a conventional diagnosis. It is important to emphasize that the PanSeer is a screening exam, meaning it tests for the absence or presence of a disease and is unlikely to predict future development of disease.
The PanSeer assay’s potential as an early detection screening for cancer using blood samples has been promising.
Image Source: National Cancer Institute
The PanSeer assay works by detecting 595 common regions in the genome that have been associated as cancer-related with high sensitivity, allowing for the possibility for early detection. Using the blood samples from the Taizhou Longitudinal Study (TZL) from 2007–2017, this study examined samples of 123,115 healthy participants between the ages 25 to 90. During the decade-long study, subjects gave multiple blood samples throughout the years and met with physicians. By the end of 2017, 575 of the initially healthy individuals were diagnosed with cancer. The study focused on stomach, esophagus, colorectal, lung, and liver cancer because of how frequently these common cancers developed in TZL participants.
Using blood samples from individuals pre-diagnosis, post-diagnosis, and those who have remained healthy, the experiment examined the specificity and accuracy of the PanSeer assay. The experimental blood test was able to accurately detect cancer in 91% of participants who were completely asymptomatic when taking the initial blood sample but were eventually diagnosed with cancer one to four years afterward. Additionally, the PanSeer assay was able to determine cancer-free participants with 95% accuracy. The assay detected cancer in 88% out of a total of 113 post-diagnosis samples, meaning individuals who have been already diagnosed with cancer.
This research could be important for increasing the early diagnosis of cancer, thus increasing the survival rate. Nevertheless, continuous research is necessary to determine the efficacy of the PanSeer assay as a test for early cancer detection.
Using blood samples from individuals pre-diagnosis, post-diagnosis, and those who have remained healthy, the experiment examined the specificity and accuracy of the PanSeer assay. The experimental blood test was able to accurately detect cancer in 91% of participants who were completely asymptomatic when taking the initial blood sample but were eventually diagnosed with cancer one to four years afterward. Additionally, the PanSeer assay was able to determine cancer-free participants with 95% accuracy. The assay detected cancer in 88% out of a total of 113 post-diagnosis samples, meaning individuals who have been already diagnosed with cancer.
This research could be important for increasing the early diagnosis of cancer, thus increasing the survival rate. Nevertheless, continuous research is necessary to determine the efficacy of the PanSeer assay as a test for early cancer detection.
Featured Image Source: Tima Miroshnickenko
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