Can proteins in blood predict cancer years before diagnosis?

A new study has revealed ground-breaking insights into early cancer detection.

Two Cancer Research UK-funded studies from Oxford Population Health have uncovered proteins in the blood that could signal cancer more than seven years before diagnosis.

The research identified 618 proteins linked to 19 types of cancer, with 107 proteins detected in individuals whose blood was collected at least seven years prior to diagnosis.

Scientists believe these proteins may play a role in the earliest stages of cancer, offering potential for prevention or early treatment.

Meanwhile, Cancer Research UK supports efforts to detect cancer early, and these studies utilized proteomics, a powerful technique analyzing proteins in tissue samples to identify differences between healthy and cancerous tissues.

In one study, blood samples from over 44,000 individuals, including 4,900 with subsequent cancer diagnoses, were analyzed to pinpoint proteins associated with cancer risk.

While, another study delved into genetic data from over 300,000 cancer cases to identify proteins influencing cancer development.

Moreover, Dr Keren Papier, Senior Nutritional Epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health and joint first author of the first study, said, "To save more lives from cancer, we need to better understand what happens at the earliest stages of the disease. Data from thousands of people with cancer has revealed really exciting insights into how the proteins in our blood can affect our risk of cancer."

She further added, "Now we need to study these proteins in depth to see which ones could be reliably used for prevention."