Cancer test a lifesaver

A UNIVERSAL cancer test that can diagnose tumours a decade before symptoms appear is being developed.

Known as a ‘‘liquid biopsy’’, it involves patients providing a blood sample that is run through a laboratory machine for a highly sophisticated analysis. It scans the blood for any DNA that has been shed by tumours. This starts circulating in the bloodstream long before patients feel symptoms.

The test could be available within two years and could be offered alongside routine blood and cholesterol checks.