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A New Blood Test May Help Detect Esophageal Cancer Earlier

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A machine-learning informed circulating microbial DNA signature for early diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma.DOI 10.108019490976.2025.2604334

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a serious cancer that has become more common in recent decades.

It often develops from earlier conditions like chronic acid reflux, Barrett’s esophagus, or high-grade dysplasia.

The challenge is that many patients are diagnosed late, when treatment is harder.

A new study suggests that a simple blood test could help detect this cancer much earlier.

Instead of looking for cancer cells directly, researchers studied tiny pieces of microbial DNA circulating in the blood. These come from bacteria living in the body and may change when cancer develops.

Scientists found clear differences in the microbial DNA patterns of people with esophageal cancer or high-grade dysplasia compared with those who only had reflux or Barrett’s esophagus.

Using machine learning, they created a six-marker DNA signature that could identify early cancer with high accuracy.
The test performed very well in studies, correctly identifying patients with early disease in most cases. Because it only requires a blood sample, it could become a non-invasive screening tool for people at risk.
This research offers hope that doctors may soon be able to detect esophageal cancer earlier and treat it before it becomes advanced.

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Dr. Harsh J Shah
Dr Harsh Shah - GI & HPB Oncosurgeon in India
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