MCED Blood Test Detects Circulating Tumor DNA Years Before Cancer Diagnosis

A study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University has found that genetic material shed by tumors can be detected in the bloodstream up to three years before a cancer diagnosis. The findings, published in Cancer Discovery, suggest that cancer-derived mutations may be identified well before clinical signs or symptoms appear.

The research team, including lead author Yuxuan Wang, analyzed plasma samples collected as part of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which investigates cardiovascular disease risk factors. They used highly sensitive sequencing methods to examine blood from 26 individuals who developed cancer within six months of sample collection and 26 matched controls who did not develop cancer.

At the time of blood collection, eight out of the 52 participants tested positive using a multicancer early detection (MCED) laboratory test. All eight were diagnosed with cancer within four months after their blood was collected. For six of these eight individuals, additional blood samples taken 3.1 to 3.5 years before diagnosis were available for analysis. In four of these cases, tumor-derived mutations were also found in the earlier samples.

“This study shows the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early, and sets the benchmark sensitivities required for their success,” noted senior author Bert Vogelstein.