Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A $500 Non-Invasive Blood Test Could Detect 8 Types Of Cancers -- But It's A Long Way Off
Los Angeles Times: This New Blood Test Can Detect Early Signs Of 8 Kinds Of Cancer
Scientists have developed a noninvasive blood test that can detect signs of eight types of cancer long before any symptoms of the disease arise. The test, which can also help doctors determine where in a person's body the cancer is located, is called CancerSEEK. Its genesis is described in a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. (Netburn, 1/18)
NPR: Scientists Edge Closer To A Blood Test To Detect Cancers
There have been many attempts over the decades to develop blood tests to screen for cancers. Some look for proteins in the blood that appear with cancer. Others more recently have focused on DNA from tumors. But these methods alone don't give reliable results. So Nickolas Papadopoulos, a professor of oncology and pathology at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, collaborated with many colleagues at the medical school to develop a new approach. It combines two methods into one test. (Harris, 1/18)
