Screening & Early Detection - Cancer Currents Blog
News about research on cancer screening and early detection. Includes stories on the impact of screening, new technologies, and approaches to improving the safety and efficacy of screening.
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As diagnoses of colorectal, breast, and other cancers continue to climb in people under age 50, researchers are trying to understand what’s behind this phenomenon. Is it environmental exposures, genetics, lifestyle? The culprits, they say, remain unclear.
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Unusual results from prenatal testing can indicate that the mother has cancer, a new study has found. The study also suggests that whole-body imaging as part of the follow-up on abnormal results can accurately identify these cancers.
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FDA recently approved the Shield test, the first blood test for the primary screening of people at average risk of colorectal cancer. Where does it fit in with other screening options for the disease, including colonoscopy and stool tests?
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Some women who receive a false-positive result on a mammogram may not come back for routine breast cancer screening in the future, a new study finds. Better doctor–patient communication about the screening process is needed, several researchers said.
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Regular imaging tests to monitor the pancreas may help detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage in people who are at high risk, a new study suggests. This type of surveillance could also help improve how long these patients live.
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The expanded approval of two HPV tests allows the patient to collect a vaginal sample themselves in a health care setting, rather than a health provider collecting a sample during a pelvic exam. The availability of a self-collection option in health care settings could help widen access to cervical cancer screening.
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Drs. Ruth Pfeiffer and Peter Kraft of NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics discuss how breast cancer risk assessment tools are created and how people can use them to understand and manage their risk.
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In a new study involving nearly 1,000 people, a liquid biopsy accurately detected early- and late-stage pancreatic cancer. When paired with a test for the protein CA19-9, the combination accurately identified 97% of people with early-stage disease.
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Using two different techniques, researchers showed they could temporarily boost ctDNA levels in the blood of mice with tumors. With more ctDNA in collected blood draws, a liquid biopsy could better detect cancer, the research team found.
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Researchers used computer modeling to estimate the number of deaths that could be prevented, and the harms caused, if more people used USPSTF-recommended cancer screening tests. The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Amy Knudsen, explains the findings.