Today there is no worthwhile news item, on which I can write. so I will be writing on some other topic.
Cancer or the big C is adreaded disease, not just for the way it takes lives, but also because detection is not easy, treatment is painful and expensive too. But, despite all the measures being taken by the governmental and other agencies, awareness about this disease is still low.
If you see the statistics os cancer in India, you will find that more than 2.5 million people are said to be living any point of time. Every 8 minutes, one woman in India dies of cervical cancer, and around 2500 people die of tobacco related diseases every single day. Around 47% of all cancer deaths happen due to the top five cancers, which can be cured fully if detected early. For women, these include breast, cervix and oral, while for men, it includes oral cavity, lung and stomach.
Now what is the issue in detection: Cancer detection is not easy, and symptoms donot always show up early. Most people especially women ignore the symptoms and wait till it goes overboard to seek medical assistance. What makes it even more painful is that it is test called biopsy that is often used to confirm the presence of cancer in any part of the body. During a biopsy, a needle is inserted into the suspicious body part to pull out tissue and then examined to confirm cancer. All the time people used to wonder why till date there is no test for cancer by analysing blood sample.
Now there is a hope in this matter, as per reaearch going on soon it will be possible to detect cancer through blood dest. The researchers claim to have developed a blood test called CancerSeek, which is capable of detecting 8 different types of cancer early. the cancers that can be thus detected are ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic, bowel, oesophageal, lung and breast cancer. This teat is also called as liquid biopsy and works in a way by detecting proteins and DNA released into the blood by cancerous cella. Obviouly, a liquid biopsy seems to be far less invasive than normal biopsy. Also, it can be performed just like any other blood test, without waiting for a suspicion of cancer.
Clinical research suggests that the test is reliable and has rarely found to be false positive. However it might take time to become available for use.
How does it work : Cancerous cells release mutated DNA and abnormal proteins in the blood. Since this DNA and proteins are clearly distinct from that of normal, healthy cells, it is eay to segregate and identify them. The test is said to be so reliable that it can find even one mutation in 10,00 cells, making it highly effective. The results have been confirmed through tests conducted on 10,000 people, wherein, the test apart from detecting cancer, also accurately predict cancer in 83% of the cases. This research studty is conducted by John Hopkins university in collaboration with Austrailian scientists at Walter & Sliza Hall Institute.
Significance of this test : CancerSeek is extremeli significant as a ecreening test for cancer as otherwise people will end up doing multiple tests and biopsies to arrive at diagnosis. In this case a simple blood test, can not only confirm the presence but also suggest the immediate next move of investigation. Like in colonoscopy may be done to reconfirm etc. This test could, therefore prove to be a game changer in the fight against cancer by promoting early detection and thus effective treatment.
Currently, the test is being used in large trials in USA, and hopefully within a span of 1 to 2 years it could become avalable for public in clinical and detection centres to check on cancer possibilities.
Definitely it gives hope, by this test many people can emerge victorious in the fight against cancer. Let us hope that it is soon available for general public.
Waiting for your views and comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
31st March 2021
R. N. Mungale.
Cancer is really a dreaded disease.