A revolutionary blood test, which acts like a smoke detector to spot cancer up to 10 years before symptoms appear, could be available within five years. Scientists at Swansea University have discovered that mutations occur in red blood cells way before any signs of cancer are evident. They have devised a simple test which hunts for the mutations and can indicate if cancer is present in just a couple of hours. The test, which costs just $35, picks up cancer ‘earlier than ever before’ offering hope to patients that their illness could be spotted when it could be easily treated with surgery, which is likely to save lives.
Cancer ‘smoke detector’ test can spot the disease 10 years before symptoms appear
