Source: Fox News
Summary
A recent study published in the journal Cancer Discovery found that DNA patterns in blood and bone marrow can reveal whether certain blood cancers are progressing years before routine tests detect changes. The study followed 30 people with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and found that patients who stayed stable often had stable DNA without cancer-related genetic changes. Patients whose disease worsened often showed DNA changes years before routine blood tests detected progression. The study also found that certain medications leave recognizable patterns of small DNA changes in blood cells.
Our Reading
The advice sounds familiar. Blood cancer detection is getting a genetic makeover. DNA patterns are being used to predict progression years before routine tests detect changes. Researchers are finding that certain genetic changes are associated with blood counts, stable disease, or progression to myelofibrosis or acute leukemia. The study’s findings raise the possibility that some patients given a certain diagnosis may not have a malignant disease and may not need long-term cancer treatment. The tools to act on this research aren’t fully built yet, but the direction is clear: precision medicine for blood cancer prevention.
Author: Evan Null
