It’s always been a mystery why completely healthy people are diagnosed with cancer at some point in life; people who have never smoked a cigarette can contract lung cancer, and children are frequently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or leukemia. Pathway Genomics, infamous for pushing boundaries when it comes to genetic testing, has just developed a liquid biopsy that can detect cancer DNA in the blood of healthy men, women and children.
How Does the Test Work?
The test uses gene sequencing technology to spot traces of DNA related to different cancers in screen blood samples. To be precise, it looks at 96 genetic markers associated with breast, ovarian, lung, colon and melanoma cancers – ones that have specific treatment regimens and are well known. Many cancer diagnosis companies have been working on these tests in order to research factors such as fetal anomalies in the event early stages of carcinomas are detected in expectant mothers. One of these companies, Cowen and Co., estimates that the expenses on DNA blood testing for cancer screenings will surpass $10 billion a year by the end of the decade.
While this biopsy may screen for early signs of cancers in the blood, there is heavy debate on just how much genetic information should be made available if it is not yet clear how the tests can ameliorate health. The Walgreens vs. Pathway altercation – when the pharmacy withdrew the company’s genetic testing kits fearing patients might take action into their own hands before fully understanding the results – is a definitive example of this.
Still A Ways to Go
The discoveries still must undergo additional studies to prove that they can help people beat cancer via early detection, and doctors, as well as potential distributors, will want a clear report on its accuracy. Dr. Keith Stewart, head oncologist at the Center for Individualized Medicine at Mayo Clinic, comments that information should be available regarding the rate of false positives that may cause needless alarm, as well as false negatives that would provide false security.
Pathway has designed an additional test to detect the efficacy of a specific treatment in a person already diagnosed with cancer, and if developments are followed closely, we may see great improvements in the prevention, detection and treatment of this threatening condition.
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Liquid Biopsy Detects Cancer in Healthy People
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