University of Oxford study links blood test trends to cancer risk

Researchers from the University of Oxford have found that monitoring trends in blood test results, rather than just looking at individual values, can improve cancer risk assessment. The study, published in ‘PLOS Medicine’, analyzed the medical histories of over 275,000 adults in English primary care settings who experienced unexplained weight loss.

By examining 26 common blood tests, the team identified that progressive changes in parameters—even those that remain within the officially ‘normal’ range—can signal potential cancer risks. For example, a hemoglobin level that shifts from high-normal to low-normal may indicate a risk that a single snapshot test would miss.

Of the participants, nearly 14,000 were diagnosed with cancer within six months of the weight loss event. The study suggests that incorporating age, sex, and longitudinal data trends into clinical practice could facilitate earlier diagnosis and better patient stratification.