Newly identified biomarkers may warn of cancer 7 years before symptoms set in

Researchers have found a link between over 1,000 blood proteins and 19 different forms of cancer. A pair of new studies investigate possible associations between thousands of blood plasma proteins and a range of cancers. A significant number of proteins appeared linked to cancers that were not diagnosed for 7 years after blood samples were taken, raising the possibility of a cancer early warning system.

With so many proteins, so many cancers, and the complex pathogenesis of those cancers, the study represents a first step toward a greater understanding of plasma proteins and cancers.

Two new studies from Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom have investigated associations between thousands of blood plasma proteins and an array of cancers.

The first study — which appeared in Nature CommunicationsTrusted Source on May 15 — found 371 plasma protein markers of cancer risk. Of these, 107 were associated with cancers that were not formally diagnosed until 7 years later, suggesting a potential opportunity for early detection and treatment.

The second study — published in Nature CommunicationsTrusted Source a little earlier, on April 29 — observed associations between 40 plasma proteins and various commonly occurring cancers.

The authors’ hope is that this may help lead the way to detecting and treating cancers early in their development, and perhaps preventing them from occurring at all.

May 20, 2024