Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Toronto found DNA methylation patterns associated with cancer risk in blood samples collected years before diagnosis. The Cell Genomics study analysed samples from 491 Ontario Health Study participants who were cancer-free when their blood was taken.
The researchers reported that some signals associated with prostate cancer could be detected five to eight years before diagnosis. Breast cancer risk signals appeared 1.5 to eight years ahead, but the test’s accuracy was not high enough for population-wide breast cancer screening.
The findings do not describe a screening test ready for routine use. They provide research-stage evidence for an approach that may one day help assess risk.
Sources: University of Oxford; Cell Genomics study.