FRIDAY, April 7, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Research could bring new insights into early signs of malignancy -- and early cancer detection.
A number of projects focused on this type of research were expected to be presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, in Washington, D.C.
Molecular messages and signals circulating in the blood or found in cells that line the airway can help identify early-stage cancer, the scientists noted. Not only can these kinds of molecular "signposts" help doctors detect cancer earlier, but in certain cases, the molecular markers could enable more specific detection of cancer.
The goal of screening and early detection of cancer is to identify primary tumors in their early stages of development, when there's a better chance that they can be controlled or cured with local therapy. Metastatic cancer -- later-stage tumors that spread from the initial tumor to other areas of the body -- is the cause of most cancer deaths.
The international research projects expected to be presented today included molecular screening for a number of cancers, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer screening.
