Cancer Cure: Study shows multicancer blood test detected undiagnosed cancer; FDA approves a higher dose of Keytruda

A study is ongoing for the multicancer blood testing in a bid to find a test that will be able to detect various types of cancer through simple blood works. Normally, people have to get multiple types of tests to see if they have cancerous tumors and what kind of cancer it is.

The DETECT-A cancer testing

Now, with his new multicancer test, it is convenient because it's like an all-in-one test. And the good news is that the results of the study are favorable so far. In a press release that was posted on Science Daily, it was noted that the study was conducted by researchers at the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and their research has been titled DETECT-A (Detecting cancers Earlier Through Elective mutation-based blood Collection and Testing).

They used liquid biopsy blood test for diagnosis and early intervention that will allow doctors to prescribe treatment as soon as possible - upon detection. This is the first time that this test has been carried out to get the best cancer cure.

In the initial study, the researchers did the test in over 9,900 women who don’t have a history of cancer. Their liquid biopsy test detected 26 undiagnosed forms of cancers that immediately enabled potentially curative treatment.

Additional 24 cancers were discovered through standard cancer screening like colonoscopy and mammography. Overall, the screen-detected cancers either through standard and blood testing resulted in the detection of 96 cancers during the research. Cancers detected by the blood test were most often localized by diagnostic PET-CT.

"This study suggests that a multicancer blood test can be complementary and additive to the standard of care screening and may be a good strategy for increasing early detection of cancer," Anne Marie Lennon, M.B.B.Ch., Ph.D., lead author of the study and interim director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Keytruda cancer drug

Now, while a new testing procedure is being studied, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a higher dosage on cancer cure drug called Keytruda. This is usually taken less and only a small dose is administered regardless of the cancer type. The FDA is now allowing a higher dose of up to 400 milligrams every six weeks.

“The important social distancing measures for COVID-19 have created a number of challenges for people with cancer, including keeping to planned treatment schedules,” Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer at Merck Research Laboratories, said in a press release. “Today’s approval of an every-six-weeks dosing schedule for Keytruda gives doctors an option to reduce how often patients are at the clinic for their treatment.”

Keytruda is an approved cancer cure for some cancers like liver and kidney, bladder, non-small cell lung, small cell lung, esophageal, head and neck, cervical, gastric and melanoma.