2024-01-10 11:55:29
A proof-of-concept study published in the journal ‘BMJ Oncology‘ reveals that a sex-specific panel, composed of 10 proteins, has the ability to detect 18 different types of cancer in the earliest stages. This panel covers all the major organs of the human body, according to research.
Experts suggest that these discoveries could boost the development of a new generation of early detection tests for cancer. The relevance lies in specific sex-related differences in cancer, such as age of onset, cancer types, and genetic alterations.
Cancer represents a significant burden of disease, being responsible for 1 in 6 deaths worldwide. About 60% of these deaths are due to cancers for which no screening tests are available, the researchers highlight.
Even existing screening tests have considerable drawbacks, such as invasiveness, high cost, and low levels of accuracy for detecting the disease in early stages.
The study proposes the possibility of using specific blood proteins for early detection and continuous monitoring. However, current options lack sensitivity and specificity.
Plasma of 440 people
To address this limitation, the researchers collected plasma samples from 440 people diagnosed with 18 different types of cancer and from 44 healthy people as a control group.
Through a two-step process that involved measuring more than 3,000 proteins associated with cancer chemical pathways, a panel of 10 sex-specific proteins was identified. These proteins were shown to be highly accurate when combined, detecting stage I-III disease and all types of cancer, with particular effectiveness in detecting early-stage disease.
The panel identified 93% of stage 1 cancers in men and 84% in women, with 99% specificity and 90% sensitivity in men, and 85% sensitivity and 99% specificity in women .
Holy Grail
Experts in the field of oncology have highlighted the importance of blood tests that seek to detect various types of cancer in early stages, calling them the “holy grail” for early detection. However, Paul Pharoah of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (USA), recognizes Science Media Centre that while many promising tests have been developed or are in development, “it is essential to approach initial results with caution.”
Because, he adds, “the very synthesis of the study’s findings underlines that it is a” proof of concept “for the potential usefulness of proteomic analysis in the early detection of several types of cancer.” In other words, Although promising, this test requires more data to affirm its effectiveness with certainty».
Pharoah points out scientific limitations in interpreting the results, such as the small sample size and the use of the same samples to develop and evaluate the test. He highlights the importance of evaluating the test on samples.
Despite acknowledging limitations, such as relatively small sample size and lack of information on coexisting conditions, the researchers conclude that their next-generation protein-based plasma test demonstrates high sensitivity in detecting early-stage tumors. in asymptomatic patients. This makes it a strong candidate for its implementation as a detection tool in the entire population, overcoming the limitations of existing tests and techniques.
In a linked editorial, Holli Loomans-Kropp of the Ohio State University College of Medicine (USA), highlights the need to address several issues before implementing early detection testing for multiple cancers on a population scale. Additionally, he suggests that the use of sex-specific screening panels could be an effective method to improve the sensitivity and specificity of these testsgiven the evidence of demonstrable sex-specific differences in cancer.
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