KEY POINTS
- Johns Hopkins University researchers have developed a blood test that can detect cancer up to three years before symptoms appear.
- The test identifies tiny mutated DNA fragments from tumours in the bloodstream.
- In a study of 52 people, the test flagged early cancer signs in 8 future patients
ISLAMABAD: Imagine a world where cancer could be caught before you ever felt a thing. Thanks to a ground-breaking discovery by medical scientists at Johns Hopkins University, that vision may be closer than ever.
Researchers have developed a new blood test that can detect signs of cancer up to three years before symptoms appear. The test, part of a study led by Dr. Yuxuan Wang, could give doctors a critical head start in treating the disease—when it’s still small, less aggressive, and often curable.
“Three years earlier means more time, more options, and more hope,” said Dr. Wang. “We’re talking about finding cancer when it’s hiding quietly before it causes any harm.”
The team studied blood samples from 52 people, half of whom were later diagnosed with cancer. Using a powerful tool called the Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) test, researchers searched for tiny fragments of mutated DNA—breadcrumbs left behind by cancerous cells.
Amazingly, the test flagged cancer in 8 out of the 26 future patients. Even more incredible? For four of them, signs of cancer had been sitting quietly in older blood samples, more than three years before they were officially diagnosed.
“This tells us early detection is not only possible but within reach,” said Dr. Bert Vogelstein, senior author of the study.
While MCED tests aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for wide use just yet, some are already available under special lab rules.
Doctors say these tests won’t replace standard screenings, like mammograms or colonoscopies, but could help catch hard-to-spot cancers earlier—and potentially save lives.
That matters because cancer caught late can be deadly. Of the eight patients in the study whose cancers were detected early, five still died, showing just how crucial early diagnosis is.
For example, breast cancer’s five-year survival rate is 99% when caught early, but plunges to 32% once it spreads.
With more than 2 million new cancer cases expected in the U.S. in 2025—and over 618,000 deaths—this test may offer a much-needed ray of hope in the fight against a devastating disease.
As Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos, another senior researcher, put it: “Catching cancer early is not just helpful—it could be life-saving. This study brings us one step closer to that future.”
