31-07-2025
Single blood test may be able to detect 10 types of cancer in their early stages
The test, which is known as Enlighten and developed by Proteotype Diagnostics, looks for certain proteins in the blood that indicate that the immune system is responding to the first signs of the disease.
The trial will also assess if the test can identify which type of cancer a patient has.
The trial, led by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU), is aiming to recruit 1,000 patients, with 450 already taking part.
Experts will take samples from people with 10 solid-tumour types, including bladder, breast, lung, prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, oesophageal and renal. It will also include patients with colorectal tumours and melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Andy Davies, centre lead at Southampton's Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, said: 'Most current research into multi-cancer blood tests is focused on detecting abnormal DNA that has been released into the blood stream by cancer cells.
'But this circulating tumour DNA cannot always be detected in the very early stages of cancer.
'We are instead looking at levels of certain proteins found in blood.
'We know that, even in the earliest stages of cancer, the body's immune response can lead to higher levels of these proteins being released, and we believe these may be a good way to test for early signs of the disease.'
Victoria Goss, associate professor and head of early diagnosis research at SCTU, said: 'When cancers are diagnosed later, there are often fewer treatment options available to patients.
'Detecting cancer early means that treatment can begin sooner, increasing the chances of successful outcomes for patients.
'Improving early diagnosis is therefore a priority for us as researchers.'
Emma Yates, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Proteotype Diagnostics, said preliminary studies show Enlighten 'has high levels of accuracy for picking up cancer in its very early stages'.
She added: 'We are now working with Prof Davies and the team at [SCTU] to test it in a much larger group of people to see whether it may be a useful early diagnostic tool.'
