A recent study reported on a single blood test, named “CancerSEEK”, which can screen for 8 common types of cancer (ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, colorectal, lung, and breast) and may help to identify the location at which the cancer started. This test evaluated the blood from over 1000 patients with Stage 1 to 3 cancers that were non-metastatic. The test’s ability to detect these cancers was 70% on average, ranging from as high as 98% for ovarian cancer to as low as 33% for breast cancer. This test measures circulating tumor DNA and 8 proteins, and the data is analyzed using machine-based learning. The researchers are conducting additional testing, and the hope is this test will be successful in screening for cancer when in its earliest stage and more treatable.1
Cohen et al. Detection and localization of surgically resectable cancers with a multi-analyte blood test. Science. 2018 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29348365