Scientists Edge Closer To A Blood Test To Detect Cancers
This blood test detected signs of cancer in 70 percent of people with eight common forms of the disease. But it was much less good at identifying cancer in people in the early stages.
Researchers say they have taken a step toward developing a blood test that would detect eight common cancers, possibly even before symptoms appear.
As they report Thursday in the journal Science, they're hoping their idea would eventually lead to a $500 test that can screen for cancer and identify people with the disease when it's in its earliest stages and more treatable.
But they have a long way to go.
There have been many attempts over the decades to develop blood tests to screen for cancers. Some look for proteins in the blood that
