Experimental blood test may identify cancer up to three years before standard diagnosis.

Breakthrough at Johns Hopkins

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, partly backed by the National Institutes of Health, report a new multi-cancer early-detection (MCED) blood test that identifies DNA fragments shed by tumors long before patients show signs of disease.

How the Study Worked

• Archived plasma came from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort, a long-running cardiovascular study.
• Blood from 52 volunteers was examined: 26 later developed cancer, 26 did not.
• An MCED assay searched each sample for tumor-specific DNA mutations.

Headline Results

• Eight participants tested MCED-positive and were diagnosed with cancer within four months.
• For six of those eight, researchers had older blood draws taken 3.1–3.5 years earlier.
• In four of the six archived vials, the same tumor-derived mutations were already present.

Why Earlier Equals Curable

Lead author Dr. Yuxuan Wang noted that surgery and other therapies are far more effective at an early stage: “Detecting a tumor three years sooner could turn a life-limiting disease into one that is routinely cured.”

Next Hurdles

Senior investigator Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos stressed the need for:

1. Larger trials to confirm the three-year lead time across cancer types.
2. Clear clinical guidelines for follow-up after a positive MCED result.
3. Affordable, high-accuracy assays that can be offered to the public.

Broader Implications

The American Cancer Society calls MCED tests “experimental,” but success could slash mortality by shifting treatment windows earlier. As Wang concluded, “Earlier detection is the key lever for reducing cancer deaths worldwide.”