This will be helpful to diagnose: stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, biliary tract cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, glioma, bone and soft tissue tumors. Cancer stages and characteristics will be specified. The new test utilizes microRNA (miRNA), a substance that is secreted from cells into the blood and regulates the movements of genes, based on the fact that types of miRNA differ between cancer cells and normal cells.
A miRNA specific was identified to 13 kinds of cancers so the new test can have relevancy and accuracy. In more than 95 percent cases, the test’s result was confirmed. A clinical test was scheduled to begin the next month for at least three years. Because the properties of miRNA could change in time, in preserved blood, the research team will use only fresh blood. 3000 people will participate in the clinical study.Until now, there has been no test to diagnose multiple kinds of cancers at one time. The new diagnose test should be important because in many cases cancer may be treated if diagnosed in early stages. Takahiro Ochiya, head of the Molecular and Cellular Medicine Division at the National Cancer Center Research Institute and Prof. Masahiko Kuroda, chief of the Molecular Pathology Department of the Tokyo Medical University believe this an important step in the battle against cancer.
