The University of Copenhagen – The Danish researchers affirm they have on their hands a more accurate method of predicting breast cancer five years in advance before it starts to manifest itself. The method according to the researchers could be more accurate compared to a mammogram. Cancer researchers believe they might have made a breakthrough in the testing of breast cancer.
The new test is based on a simple blood test with an accuracy level of 80%, compared to mammogram, which has an accuracy level of 75% and only used when one has developed the cancerous cells. The study according to the researchers intended to eradicate the problems of misdiagnosis as well as false positives that have continued to plague mammography tests for years.
The accuracy level of mammography is many a times affected by the fact that one of the three women usually has a dense breast tissue that makes it hard for the test to read authoritatively. Dense breast tissues usually increase the risk of women developing cancerous cells.
Laura Donnelly, one of the researchers, attest that the new blood test should come in full implementation soon, making it easy to detect breast cancer before it becomes rampant.
“The blood test works by measuring all of the compounds in the blood to build a ‘metabolic profile’ of an individual, in order to detect changes in the way chemicals are processed, during a pre-cancerous stage.” said Mrs. Donnelly.
The blood test developed in Denmark is similar to another concept used at the University of Harvard to predict the likelihood of someone developing leukemia, lymphoma and myelodysplastic.
The accuracy of the blood test in Denmark is proved on 57,000 participants over 20 years; involving the gathering of blood samples and analyzing them over the period. The discovery is a big leap in the fight against breast cancer as early detection can mean assured recovery in the long run.
