A simple blood test may help doctors detect cancer in patients who show general symptoms like tiredness, pain, or weight loss.
These are common symptoms that are often hard to explain and could be caused by many things—not just cancer.
Researchers in Sweden, from places like Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital, wanted to find out if proteins in the blood could give early signs of cancer. They collected blood samples from nearly 700 patients at two hospitals. These samples were taken before any major tests or scans were done.
The scientists measured the levels of 1,463 proteins in the blood using a special method called proteomics. They found a certain mix of proteins—called a ‘protein signature’—that was common in people who had cancer.
This signature helped them build a model that can tell the difference between cancer and other serious diseases like infections or autoimmune problems.
One of the strengths of the study is that the control group included people with other conditions that cause similar symptoms to cancer. This makes the model more accurate in real-life situations.
The test isn’t meant to replace scans or biopsies, but it could help doctors decide who should get those more in-depth tests first. This could speed up cancer detection and also reduce unnecessary procedures in patients who don’t have cancer.
The researchers say more studies are needed, especially in primary care, where fewer people have cancer. The next step is to try the test in general clinics to see how well it works in the wider population.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
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