7 Recent Innovations in Cancer Diagnostics

Recent data shows that death rates from the top four cancers (breast, bowel, lung and prostate) have fallen by more than a third over the past 20 years. A huge amount of time and money is being poured into cancer research; read on to learn more about some of the most recent technological advancements in cancer diagnostics.

1. A new "lymphocyte genome sensitivity" blood test that could determine whether you have or are likely to get cancer
New research suggests that white blood cells exposed to UVA light in agar, to induce DNA damage, can predict if an individual has, or is at risk of, developing cancer.

2. Use of high definition imaging for biomarker discovery
Proteomics is extremely important for the discovery of candidate biomarkers and drugs. A new method has demonstrated the use of high definition MALDI imaging, combined with multivariate analysis, in studying changes in the proteome on xenograph tissues sections over time, after administering an anti-cancer drug.

3. Use of multiplex technology to accelerate cancer research
Traditional ELISA assays cannot provide the required multiplexing to meet cancer researchers’ current needs. This application note describes a reproducible and sensitive assay system that can simultaneously interrogate large numbers of nucleic acid or protein targets per sample across a large number of samples and in a short time. The system can also easily adapt to researchers’ changing needs.

4. Droplet digital PCR used for non-invasive plasma-based detection of mutations
There is an unmet need for assays that monitor and detect the emergence of resistance mutations to targeted therapies, especially for advanced solid tumors where tissue availability is limiting. This case study describes how droplet digital PCR allows detection of EGFR T790M mutations in circulating tumor DNA.

5. Liquid biopsy-based companion diagnostic tests move a step closer
QIAGEN has announced a collaboration agreement with AstraZeneca PLC for the co-development and commercialization of a liquid biopsy-based companion diagnostic to be paired with IRESSA, AstraZeneca’s targeted therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

6. Use of intravital imaging could provide a new diagnostic test for cancer metastasis
A study has proven that a new diagnostic cancer test is more accurate in predicting the risk of breast cancer metastatic tumor spread than a test closely resembling the leading breast cancer prognostic indicator on the market.

7. New highly sensitive molecular tests could hold promise for cancer diagnosis
Research confirms the effectiveness of PointMan™ DNA enrichment technology for isolating and characterizing low-level DNA mutations in blood. This is significant since with such sensitivity, it paves the way for the possibility of using a simple blood test to screen and diagnose different cancers, as well as monitor the efficacy of anti-cancer therapies.