Oxford University develops blood test to detect multiple cancers at early stages

A new blood test developed by the University of Oxford is showing "real promise" in detecting multiple types of cancer in their earliest stages.

The test, named TriOx, is powered by machine learning and analyses multiple features of DNA in the blood to identify subtle signs of cancer.

This could offer a fast, sensitive, and minimally invasive alternative to current detection methods.

A study showed TriOx accurately detected cancer, including in its early stages, across six cancer types.

Cancers are more likely to be cured if they are caught early, and early treatment is also much cheaper for healthcare systems.

TriOx was also found to reliably distinguish between people who had cancer and those who did not.

This would ensure patients without cancer are not subjected to unnecessary procedures, while those with cancer can receive treatment sooner.

The cancer types evaluated in the study were colorectal, oesophageal, pancreatic, renal, ovarian, and breast.

The test is still in the development phase, but it demonstrates the promise of blood-based early cancer detection, researchers said, a technology that could revolutionise screening and diagnostic practices.

Professor Anna Schuh, professor of molecular diagnostics at the University of Oxford's Department of Oncology and lead researcher on the study, said: "Our new test brings together the best of cutting-edge science and machine learning.

"It allows us to look at the whole cancer genome, improving reliability.

"While this test is still early in development, with further work, we believe it has the potential to improve survival rates for millions worldwide, by enabling implementation of routine blood tests to catch cancer earlier, when it’s easier to treat."

The TriOx test was evaluated on blood samples from patients with and without cancer who had been referred by their GP with symptoms that might be due to cancer, as well as on asymptomatic individuals without cancer.

Dr Dimitris Vavoulis, from Oxford's Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and co-lead researcher, said: "Many cancers, such as pancreatic and ovarian, often go unnoticed until they’ve advanced, when treatment is more difficult and less effective.

"Current screening methods are limited to a few cancers and are often invasive, deterring many from regular checks.

"Although our approach is still early in development, we envision that a simple blood draw could eventually be all that’s needed to screen for multiple cancers, giving patients and doctors a faster, more convenient tool to stay ahead of the disease."

The research team is now developing and validating the test across more cancer types and larger patient groups.

The study was published in Nature Communications.