By: Sun Reporter
From: thesun.co.uk
Doctor Anna Rose’s revolutionary research could mean that previously overlooked information could now be used to actually identify cancers at an earlier stage.
A SIMPLE blood test costing a few pounds could detect the risk of cancer at birth.
Researcher Dr Anna Rose, 31, of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, found a test on so-called junk DNA can predict the likelihood of developing breast cancer.
And after working with a university in Australia it was discovered that a similar process can be used to detect the likelihood of prostate cancer.
Dr Rose, 31, is now hoping to discover if other forms of cancer can also be detected using the same screening technique.
She said: “It is vital to identify any increased risk of developing breast cancer or any cancer at the earliest possible stage – the earlier it is detected the better the outcome.
“In the UK mammogram screening begins at the age of 50 – but this discovery will let us identify women who are at a greatly increased risk of breast cancer from the day they are born.- with a simple blood test.
“Early detection of breast cancer is central to the treatment and cure of the disease so if we can identify those at the highest risk we can effectively screen – and initiate treatment – before it is too late.”
Dr Justine Alford from Cancer Research UK, said: “This research highlights how much there’s still to learn about the genetics of cancer, revealing that stretches of our DNA once thought to have no biological purpose, might in fact have a role in cancer development.”
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.