Can blood tests for cancer save more lives?

Can blood tests for cancer save more lives?

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

• A multi-cancer early detection test can identify circulating tumour DNA or circulating tumour cells at an early stage, allowing for more effective treatment.

Cancer in India:

• Cancer is responsible for 18% of deaths from noncommunicable diseases, making it the second leading cause of mortality in the country.
• In 2022 alone, an estimated 14 lakh new cancer cases occurred in India.

Common types:

• As per GLOBOCAN, among women, breast, cervical, ovarian, and colorectal cancers are most common.
• Lung, esophageal, colorectal, and stomach cancers dominate among men.

Cancer screening in India:

• According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21), cancer screening in India is limited, with only 2-2% of people having undergone any form of screening.

About Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Test:

• MCED test, a type of liquid biopsy, detects cancer signals such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumour cells (CTCs) released by cancerous cells into the blood at early stages, when treatment is most effective.
• The test can detect up to 50 types of cancer.
• The MCED test does not assess genetic predispositions or inherited genetic changes related to cancer.