NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – A simple blood test may be able to detect breast cancer up to five years before signs of the disease become apparent.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham are developing the test that would identify the body's immune response to antigens, which are produced by cancer cells, reports Sky News.
According to the report, the antigens themselves trigger the body to create autoantibodies to fight the proteins.
Researchers found that autoantibodies that fight certain tumor-associated antigens could be detected five years before clinical signs of the tumor.
"Once we have improved the accuracy of the test, then it opens the possibility of using a simple blood test to improve early detection of the disease." said Ph.D. student Daniyah Alfattani.