Biomarker Shows Promise for Rapid Ambulatory Cancer Test

A study was performed to determine the usefulness of a cancer marker in the development of a rapid test for ambulatory cancer detection.

A rapid lateral flow chromatography test based on the RECAF marker was tested for its ability to discriminate between cancer and normal samples. This cancer marker is found on malignant cells from a variety of cancer types but is absent in most normal or benign cells

The results of the study showed that 80.4% of ovarian cancers (stages I-III) were detected with 88% specificity. The samples included 64 normal controls, 51 serum samples from patients with ovarian cancer [25 samples at stage I and II (b-c) and 26 samples at stage III (b-c)]. The device used in the study was similar to the common pregnancy test kit and represents a potential breakthrough of great magnitude in simplifying cancer detection.

When applied to the examples of early-stage ovarian cancer, the rapid test demonstrated better performance than the marker CA-125. Once perfected, the rapid test based on the RECAF marker may prove useful for a first approximation to the diagnosis of cancer at the doctor's office.

Biocurex, Inc. (Richmond, Canada) together with the Blokhin Research Centre (Moscow, Russia) conducted the study, which was presented to the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine (ISOBM).

The ISOBM originated in the early 1970s from the International Research Group for Carcinoembryonic Proteins. Since then the society has grown to cover wider aspects of research in oncodevelopmental/oncofetal biology. The society also organizes a series of antibody workshops that provide a practical focus on tumor markers in all types of cancer.


Related Links:
Biocurex
Blokhin Research Centre