A new blood test could change the way doctors detect and treat cancer. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have created a simple test that can find cancer up to three years before any symptoms appear. This gives doctors a big advantage, as early detection can save lives.Early cancer detection blood test.
The test is called a multicancer early detection (MCED) test. It works by finding tiny pieces of tumor DNA that float in the blood. These pieces, known as genetic mutations, can show up long before a person feels sick or shows signs of cancer.
The findings were published in the journal Cancer Discovery. The research team used old blood samples from people who had joined a large health study in the past. They looked at samples from those who later developed cancer and found that the tumor DNA was already present in their blood years earlier.
This discovery could be a game-changer. Instead of waiting for symptoms to appear, doctors could start screening people during regular checkups. If cancer is caught early, treatment can begin sooner, and the chances of survival go up.
However, researchers say more work is needed. Doctors still need to learn what to do when the test finds something early, especially if there are no symptoms yet. But the future looks promising.
If approved and widely used, this test could become one of the most powerful tools in the fight against cancer—turning cancer care from reactive to proactive.
