Aussies say 10-minute blood test detects cancer

Australian scientists have developed a simple blood test that they claim can diagnose cancer in mere minutes by identifying a unique DNA signature present in all types of the disease.

A genetic pattern in all cancers, researchers said Tuesday, could help make diagnosing cancer more accessible and affordable. The blood test detected cancer with 90 percent accuracy in the University of Queensland’s tests of different human cancers and healthy cells and can be done in 10 minutes.

Nanoparticles of gold change colors if the cancer DNA is present, using the same technology as pregnancy tests with strip indicators, according to researchers.

“This happens in one drop of fluid,” said professor Matt Trau, one of the study’s researchers, adding that researchers were unsure whether the test will emerge as the “holy grail” for cancer diagnostics. “You can detect it by eye, it’s as simple as that.”

Dr. Dino Di Carlo, director of cancer nanotechnology at UCLA’s cancer center and a bioengineering professor there, said the study needs to be further tested to determine its effectiveness.

“You don’t expect all tumors to have the same methylation pattern because there’s so many different ways that cancer can develop,” Di Carlo said. “There are some pieces that don’t exactly align logically.”

Di Carlo said he is more concerned about the false positive rate than the 90 percent accuracy rate. Because cancer is uncommon, it is more important to prevent false diagnoses, he said.

Most of the potential advantage of the test, if it is accurate, Di Carlo said, lies in lower costs compared to DNA sequencing.