Blood test study detects signals for 17 different cancer types

A large-scale study published in Nature Medicine has demonstrated that a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test can identify signals for 17 different types of cancer. The PATHFINDER 2 study, which included nearly 36,000 adults aged 50 and older and involved the Mayo Clinic, analyzed small fragments of DNA released by cells into the bloodstream to identify cancer-related genetic patterns.

Out of 32,007 participants included in the performance analysis, 287 received positive results, with cancer eventually confirmed in 173 cases. The test achieved a positive predictive value of 60.3% and a specificity of 99.64%. Furthermore, in 91.3% of confirmed cancer cases, the test correctly identified one of the two most likely sites of origin.

Significantly, 72.8% of the detected cancers belonged to categories for which there are currently no high-priority screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Among the 151 individuals diagnosed for the first time via this test, 53% were at stage 1 or 2, and 70.9% were at stage 3 or earlier, highlighting the potential for early-stage intervention.