Imagine being able to diagnose cancer with a drop of blood.
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine think they are close to that being a reality.
"Currently, we don't know what's going on in a patient's actual tumor cells when a treatment is given," said oncologist Alice Fan, MD, a clinical instructor in the division of oncology at the medical school. "The standard way we measure if a treatment is working is to wait several weeks to see if the tumor mass shrinks. It would really be a leap forward if we could detect what is happening at a cellular level."
As I have noted, early detection is a key to surviving cancer. An article in Wired magazine points out that cancer detected early gives a person nearly a 90 percent chance of surviving. Find it late? It falls to 20 percent and lower pretty quickly.
Biopsies are expensive. My biopsy, which revealed my lymphoma in November, was more than $10,000. Being able to detect cancer from a drop of blood or a small piece of tissue not only saves money, but also time and effort.
Imagine a person being able to be assured they don't have cancer with a simple annual blood test. Or, at least as importantly, being able to detect that cancer early and having a great shot at beating it.
That will be a great step forward for humanity.
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PNNL improves tests to detect breast cancer
PNNL improves tests to detect breast cancer
RICHLAND -- Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory may lead to more accurate early detection of breast cancer.
Scientists at the Department of Energy laboratory in Richland have refined blood tests that could indicate whether abnormalities found in mammograms are likely to be cancerous or benign.
Although early detection of breast cancer saves lives, screening for breast cancer also produces false alarms that are stressful for patients and may require surgery or other invasive or expensive procedures to determine there is no cancer.
PNNL picked for cancer research center
PNNL picked for cancer research center
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland has been named one of five premier proteomics centers in the nation to study protein changes associated with cancer.
The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, picked the lab as part of the launch of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium.
It's planned to be a comprehensive, coordinated team effort to accelerate the understanding of the molecular basis of cancer.
Faces of Cancer: Richland woman vigilant in finding, fighting cancer
Faces of Cancer: Richland woman vigilant in finding, fighting cancer
It is hard to imagine someone more diligent in checking for cancer than Terri Butz. Yet even so, the Richland woman didn't catch her breast cancer until it almost was too late.
Butz, 51, began receiving annual mammograms at age 35 on her doctor's recommendation because her tissue is dense and hard to read, making diagnosis especially difficult. Two years later, a benign lump was detected and removed, and she continued regular self-exams and annual mammograms.
In late 2006, she noticed something unusual. As she was due to be checked anyway, she headed to the doctor, and tests came back normal.
Tri-City police complete blood spatter analysis class
Tri-City police complete blood spatter analysis class
KENNEWICK -- Benton County sheriff's Detective Scott Runge studied strings he taped on a wall near a mock blood-covered crime scene and tried to figure out what happened.
The strings were used to mark the angle of impact based on the blood spatter. They were then measured to show how far away from the wall the victim was when he was struck.
"My guess is it's going to be two separate events," Runge said Friday as another officer measured blood spatter on a second wall.
Columnist heroic
Columnist heroic
I want to thank you for running the column, "Busting the myths of ovarian cancer" (Mid-Columbia Voices, Sept. 18). As a recent chemo patient, it helped me more than you could ever know. It not only gave me resources, but it is also helping make more people aware. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2010, and like so many other women thought I had a urinary tract infection, only to find out I have stage three ovarian cancer. The word needs to get out! I thank you for printing Kay Kerbyson's story and hope to read more from her. Awareness is key to early detection. Thank you Kay for putting the symptoms out there and bringing more awaerness to our community. You are a true hero!
KARLA SCHLIEP, Kennewick
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