Phlebotomists in Denver will soon join the fight against breast cancer. Scientists recently developed a blood test that can catch a breast cancer relapse months before the tumors would show up on scans. Phlebotomy schools won’t be teaching this new blood test anytime soon, though, as it is only in the experimental stage of development. It could be years before the test is ready for public use.
Scientists believe that this new blood test will help personalize treatments for breast cancer patients in Denver and around the world. Researchers, phlebotomy schools, and the rest of the medical field hope that it may even help lead to a cure.
Nicholas Turner from the Institute of Cancer Research in London told Tech Times, “If we can identify better who is at risk of relapse, we can direct treatments to prevent relapse specifically to them.”
The test, which identifies the DNA cancerous tumors shed into the bloodstream, could help doctors overcome one of the most difficult factors in cancer treatment—figuring out which patients are most at risk for post-treatment relapse.
The study followed 55 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery and chemotherapy to remove early stages of the disease. The scientists took blood and tumor samples from each patient pre-surgery and administered the new blood test post-surgery and at 6-month intervals for the following two years.
Fifteen of the 55 patients experienced a relapse. Twelve of those patients were correctly flagged by the new test a full eight months before scans confirmed the return of the cancerous tumors.
Dr. Tilak Sundaresan, an oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, told Business insider that the test offers “… a window of opportunity to treat the cancer while it is still theoretically curable.” Doctors, researchers, phlebotomy schools and patients all hope that this will be the case.
Researchers note that in Denver and in the rest of the world, 95 percent of all breast cancers are caught in the early stages. The trick to effective treatment is determining if said treatment actually removed all vestiges of the disease, minimizing the chance of relapse.
Turner told Business Insider, “It will be some years before the test could potentially be available in hospitals, but we hope to bring this date closer by conducting much larger clinical trials starting next year.”
Phlebotomy schools from the East Coast to Denver eagerly await the chance for their students to learn the ins and outs of this life-changing blood test.
Alex Kirkwood is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Phlebotomy Training Specialists. Follow on Twitter
Scientists believe that this new blood test will help personalize treatments for breast cancer patients in Denver and around the world. Researchers, phlebotomy schools, and the rest of the medical field hope that it may even help lead to a cure.
Nicholas Turner from the Institute of Cancer Research in London told Tech Times, “If we can identify better who is at risk of relapse, we can direct treatments to prevent relapse specifically to them.”
The test, which identifies the DNA cancerous tumors shed into the bloodstream, could help doctors overcome one of the most difficult factors in cancer treatment—figuring out which patients are most at risk for post-treatment relapse.
The study followed 55 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery and chemotherapy to remove early stages of the disease. The scientists took blood and tumor samples from each patient pre-surgery and administered the new blood test post-surgery and at 6-month intervals for the following two years.
Fifteen of the 55 patients experienced a relapse. Twelve of those patients were correctly flagged by the new test a full eight months before scans confirmed the return of the cancerous tumors.
Dr. Tilak Sundaresan, an oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, told Business insider that the test offers “… a window of opportunity to treat the cancer while it is still theoretically curable.” Doctors, researchers, phlebotomy schools and patients all hope that this will be the case.
Researchers note that in Denver and in the rest of the world, 95 percent of all breast cancers are caught in the early stages. The trick to effective treatment is determining if said treatment actually removed all vestiges of the disease, minimizing the chance of relapse.
Turner told Business Insider, “It will be some years before the test could potentially be available in hospitals, but we hope to bring this date closer by conducting much larger clinical trials starting next year.”
Phlebotomy schools from the East Coast to Denver eagerly await the chance for their students to learn the ins and outs of this life-changing blood test.
Alex Kirkwood is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Phlebotomy Training Specialists. Follow on Twitter