It's likely that most of us on the user side of the medical industry relationship wish those blood draws for the annual physical could reveal more useful information. Well, good news. Researchers are trying.
A new test was recently researched, and the results were positive. See New blood test capable of detecting multiple types of cancer. Here's the gist of it:
The test, developed by GRAIL, Inc., uses next-generation sequencing technology to probe DNA for tiny chemical tags (methylation) that influence whether genes are active or inactive. ...
The new test looks for DNA, which cancer cells shed into the bloodstream when they die. In contrast to “liquid biopsies,” which detect genetic mutations or other cancer-related alterations in DNA, the technology focuses on modifications to DNA known as methyl groups. Methyl groups are chemical units that can be attached to DNA, in a process called methylation, to control which genes are “on” and which are “off.” Abnormal patterns of methylation turn out to be, in many cases, more indicative of cancer – and cancer type – than mutations are. The new test zeroes in on portions of the genome where abnormal methylation patterns are found in cancer cells.
Good luck. And please hurry, my next blood draw is scheduled a few days from now. But that's an unpleasant reminder of my phobia -- dying one day before a cure is found for whatever kills me.
Via Study Finds.
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1:51 PM 11/3/2019
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