New test developed to identify cervical cancer
A paper recently published in PLoS ONE describes a simple test to detect the presence of cervical cancer.
A group of scientists from the University of Louisville (KY, USA) has developed a simple test to indicate the presence and stage of cervical cancer, which is based upon the heat profile of a patient’s blood sample, termed a ‘plasma thermogram’.
Currently, the traditional screening method for cervical cancer is a pap smear. Lead researcher on the study, Nichola Garbett, explained the benefits of the novel technique, “We’ve been able to demonstrate a more convenient, less intrusive test for detecting and staging cervical cancer.” Garbett continued, “Additionally, other research has shown that we’re able to demonstrate if the current treatment is effective so that clinicians will be able to better tailor care for each patient.”
As reported in the press release, the plasma thermogram is generated by ‘melting’ blood plasma from a patient sample, generating a unique signature due to differences in protein levels. Biomarkers associated with cervical cancer lead to variations in the plasma thermogram and therefore, allow detection of the disease, as explained by Garbett, “The key isn’t the actual melting temperature of the thermogram, but the shape of the heat profile. We have been able to establish thermograms for a number of diseases. Comparing blood samples of patients who are being screened or treated against those thermograms should enable us to better monitor patients as they are undergoing treatment and follow up. This will be a chance for us to adjust treatments so they are more effective.”
Looking to the future, the team believe their new technique could be used to diagnose a range of different cancer types and diseases, in which it has already shown promising results.
Source: Garbett NC, Merchant ML, Helm CW, Jenson AB, Klein JB, Chaires JB. Detection of cervical cancer biomarker patterns in blood plasma and urine by differential scanning calorimetry and mass spectrometry. PLoS One 9(1) (2014); Simple test can indicate cervical cancer.
