Boston scientists have invented a very sensitive blood test that can detect one cancer cell among thousands of millions of healthy cells. This test may soon be available to physicians.
The presence of some cancer cells in the blood means that a tumor has spread or is about to do so, say many doctors. A test that can detect these cells have the potential to transform the treatment for many cancers, especially breast, prostate, colon and lung.
The doctors want to use the test initially in an attempt to predict which treatments would be best for the tumors of patients and quickly determine whether they are effective.
“This would be a liquid biopsy avoid making a painful tissue sample and allow better observation of patients,” said Dr. Daniel Haber, head of the cancer center at Massachusetts General Hospital and one of the inventors testing.
It is expected that over time the test can be used to detect cancer in addition to mammograms, colonoscopies and other methods that are used now and are far from ideal.
The only evidence available on the market now for cancer cells in the blood only provides an account of them, but not agglomerated so that doctors can analyze and choose the treatments.