Cancers can be identified through a liquid biopsy, which looks for DNA from tumours in the blood Getty ImagesA new blood test can pick up signs of lung cancer recurrence up to a year before conventional scans, scientists have revealed. The technique, which could be applied to other types of cancer, involves spotting evidence of the disease in patients’ blood at a stage when the tumour itself is a fraction of a millimetre across — far smaller than can normally be noticed. By catching any relapses that early, doctors may be able to hit tumours long before any physical symptoms appear, offering a better chance of survival. The cancer was identified through a technique known as a “liquid biopsy”, which looks for DNA in the blood. When cancer cells die they shed DNA, but to spot it doctors need to know what they…

Source: The Times April 26, 2017 23:01 UTC