New blood test can detect cancer in 10 minutes, researchers claim
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CHICAGO (Fox 32 News) - Researchers have developed a simple blood test that can tell a person if they have cancer in just 10 minutes.
Fox News reports that the blood test could detect cancer in its very early stages, which would allow treatment of the disease before symptoms even develop. The blood test could also, once and for all, lead to a cure.
How the blood test works, according to Nature Communications, is it identifies tiny amounts of DNA in the body that could only come from tumors, and not healthy cells.
Researcher and Professor Matt Trau says the new blood test may be the “Holy Grail” when it comes to diagnosing cancer.
"Virtually every piece of cancerous DNA we examined had this highly predictable pattern," he said.
During trials, the blood test could tell the difference between tumors and healthy cells with up to 90 percent accuracy.