Researchers at Brown University, US, have developed a new blood test which can provide prediction and early detection of bladder cancer.
The new test measures a pattern of methylation (a chemical alteration to DNA that affects which genes are expressed in cells) that is associated with bladder cancer.
To develop the test, the team of scientists analysed the blood of 112 people who had cancer and 118 people without cancer.
Through the analyses, they determined the pattern of methylation in immune cells, which is associated with bladder cancer.
In the study involving a group of people with and without cancer, the scientists found that people with the methylation pattern were 5.2 times more likely to have bladder cancer than people who did not have the pattern.
According to researchers, this test can provide either prediction or early detection of cancer, which can make a big difference in improving a patient’s prognosis.