New Research Suggests That Certain Blood Proteins May Hold The Key To Early Cancer Detection, Warning Individuals Over Seven Years Prior To A Formal Cancer Diagnosis
According to the National Cancer Institute, it’s estimated that over 2 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2024, and just under 612,000 people will die from the disease.
However, two new studies funded by Cancer Research UK are shedding light on the potential of blood proteins to serve as precursors to cancer detection. The research suggests that these blood proteins may be able to warn individuals over seven years prior to a formal cancer diagnosis.
In these studies, researchers have pinpointed 618 proteins associated with 19 distinct cancer types, among which 107 were traced back to blood samples obtained at least seven years before diagnosis.
The findings suggest a correlation between these proteins and the nascent stages of cancer, presenting a window of opportunity for preventive interventions.
So, the researchers believe that certain proteins may hold the key to early cancer detection, in turn enhancing the efficacy of treatment protocols.
“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,” explained Dr. Karl Smith-Byrne, who worked on both studies.
“Now, we need to study these proteins in depth to see which ones could be reliably used for prevention.”
The first study involved the examination of blood samples sourced from over 44,000 individuals within the UK Biobank database. Among them were over 4,900 individuals who were later diagnosed with cancer.
Utilizing proteomics, researchers examined 1,463 proteins from a singular blood sample per participant. Then, the team juxtaposed the protein profiles of individuals who eventually developed cancer with those who did not.
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This allowed the researchers to identify 182 proteins exhibiting variations in blood composition three years prior to a cancer diagnosis.
“The genes we are born with, and the proteins made from them, are hugely influential in how cancer starts and grows. Thanks to the thousands of people who gave blood samples to the UK BioBank, we are building a much more comprehensive picture of how genes influence cancer development over many years,” said Dr. Joshua Atkins, the co-first author of the first study.
Next, in the second study, the researchers examined genetic information from over 300,000 instances of cancer to further investigate the specific blood proteins that are involved in cancer formation – as these could potentially serve as optimal treatment targets.
They identified 40 blood proteins that influenced the susceptibility to nine distinct cancer types.
Nonetheless, the researchers underscored the need for further research to determine the precise role that these proteins play in cancer development.
“Preventing cancer means looking out for the earliest warning signs of the disease. That means intensive, painstaking research to find the molecular signals we should pay closest attention to,” concluded Dr. Iain Foulkes, Cancer Research UK’s Executive Director of Research and Innovation.
“Discoveries from this research are the crucial first step towards offering preventative therapies, which is the ultimate route for giving people longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
To read the first study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Nature Communications, visit the link here. To read the second study’s complete findings, which were also published in Nature Communications, visit the link here.
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