No More Painful Invasive Biopsies, Only Blood Tests Needed

A more accurate blood test is now coming to fruition. This new approach, furthered by Hebrew University researchers, is able to precisely read information from DNA in the blood and use it to determine the nature of a disease or tumor. It can even determine exactly where in the body the disease is found and how far developed it is.

Biopsies are typically used to detect a wide variety of diseases, including skin cancers and liver issues. Getting a biopsy can be painful, and doesn’t always catch the issue in time. It can be difficult to extract the correct tissue, depending on how far along the disease is.

The blood test results in question can not only determine the state of dead cells throughout the body, but it can also identify specific markers that differ between patients suffering from the same types of tumors. This distinction has the potential to help individual patients get personalized treatment plans.

In general, DNA sequences are identical between cells, however new studies have developed a way to reveal abnormal cell activity via the proteins of individual cells. Cells each have their own chemical codes which are now able to be identified through this upcoming science.

By gaining more information on a person’s health in this way, healthcare professionals will be able to determine why cells died and what type of disease they’re dealing with. The upsides to this technology is that a blood test is far less invasive than a biopsy, as well as less expensive. If diseases are able to be identified earlier and in a more effective manor, more people will benefit from live-saving remedies in the long term.