New Test Detects Cancer Sooner 
Someday soon, you may be able to detect cancer in it's earliest stages by simply giving a small sample of blood.  It's a breakthrough that could give victims more time against a disease where every second counts.

Gladys Rivera has breast cancer.  Even though she had a mastectomy and other treatments, the cancer spread thoughout her body.  But a new blood test is giving her a better chance in her battle against cancer.

Dr. Arthur Weiss/Thomas Jefferson University Oncologist: "The importance of the test was that it enabled us, very early in her disease, to say that her tumor was relapsing."

Doctors know that tumors shed cancer cells into the blood stream early in the disease. But until now, they haven't been able to detect those cells.  The first step in the test is to draw some blood. Next, scientists chemically attach a tiny particle of iron to an antibody. The antibody is designed to attach only to cancer cells.  The antibodies with the iron particles are mixed with the blood sample.  Finally, a magnet attracts the iron, bringing along cancer cells which are now attached to the antibody. The cancer cells can then be counted.

Dr. Arthur Weiss:  "When the patients go in remission, the number of cells disappear. If the patient is going to relapse, we will see a rapid rise in cells. and we comonly will see these cells come back before the patient has any clinical evidence of
cancer."

That's what happened with Gladys. Her cancer began to come back but doctors found it early.  Unlike her other relapses, this time they didn't have to wait for the cancer to cause pain.

Gladys Rivera/cancer patient:  "When you have it all over your body, you know it's real, you're in pain constantly. so how could pain tell you, you know, that it's progressing or not progressing?"

This time the magnetic test provided an early answer and Doctor Weiss provided early treatment.
 

For more information about cancer, you can reach the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.  Or you can access their web page at www.cancer.org.

You can also access the American Association for Cancer Research at www.aacr.org/publcedu.htm. 
 
 

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