United Kingdom researchers at Bradford University say they have developed a blood test which seems to predict with near 100 percent accuracy whether a patient is suffering from cancer. The limited test done so far is very preliminary but its results are “powerful” say doctors. It sorted out those who were ill, or potentially ill, from the healthy patients with precision. The test is based in the newer science of genetics and shows once again the enormous power given to medicine by the mapping of the genome. The blood test is so far designed to detect melanoma, colon cancer and lung cancer. It relies on the examination of DNA of the white blood cells under ultraviolet light. The rigours of fighting cancer apparently reveal distinctive damage to the cells, researchers say. The test has the potential save time as well as difficult and invasive exploratory surgery. MailOnline
