SYDNEY, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have developed a new method to detect, analyze and profile cancer tumors via a simple blood test.
Researchers from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne revealed the breakthrough in a new study, declaring it would accelerate the process of personalizing cancer treatment.
The new method, called MisMatchFinder, used an algorithm to identify changes in DNA patterns caused by cancer's impact on cells, according to a medial release on Friday.
Previously the changes, known as the mutational signature, could only be found by conducting whole genome sequencing on a tissue biopsy sample from the cancer, an expensive and challenging process.
"Mutational signature information can often tell us more about the cancer including possible contributing causes as to why the cancer has developed and what type of therapy may be most effective," Sarah-Jane Dawson, a co-author of the study from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, said.
"Using the MisMatchFinder method, we can gather this information through a blood test, potentially making genome sequencing accessible to more patients and allowing us to personalize treatment to their specific cancer more quickly." ■