HOLLAND, MI (WHTC)-AM/FM) – Scientists at the John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center announced yesterday that they are developing a new test that can detect tiny amounts of cancer in a patient’s blood.
The test has been able to accurately detect cancer DNA in more than half of patients with relatively early-stage colorectal, breast, lung and ovarian cancers. The test is still in its early stages, however, and requires more research before doctors can start readily using it.
Allergist Dr. Ulf Hierlwimmer on the Thursday, Aug. 17 edition of WHTC’s Talk of the Town said that with the Affordable Care Act on the cusp of ruin, insurance companies, patients, and the federal government should all ban together to fund research for this life-saving test.
“Research grants have to be given out by the federal government because their the only ones who have enough money to do these research projects,” Hierlwimmer told host Gary Stevens. “The current budget proposal cuts back on research grants and that’s wrong.”
The U.S Food and Drug Administration has been very skeptical of blood tests to diagnose disease before any symptoms have popped up, but most of that flack has been targeted to at-home DNA tests.
