In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists from the biotech firm Novelna in the United States have introduced a DNA test capable of diagnosing 18 different types of early-stage cancers.

The study published in BMJ Oncology journal proposed that different tests may be needed for men and women suggesting cancer protein signals to be sex-specific, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The research was carried out by collecting samples of blood plasma from 44 healthy donors and 440 from people with different types of cancer.

Different proteins were identified which showed signs of cancers and where they originate in the body.

However, further larger sample size tests need to be conducted for further studies.

By examining proteins in blood plasma, researchers proved successful in differentiating between different cancer cells from one another as well as from normal ones with 99 % accuracy.

The advantages achieved from this breakthrough could reshape screening guidelines, incorporating the plasma test as a standard component of routine check-ups.

Director of the Centre for Global Oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research, Dr Anguraj Sadanandam, said “This research could pave the way to a prosperous and efficient way to identify cancers earlier when they are easier to treat”.

Dr Mangesh Thorat, of the Centre for Cancer Prevention at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, said, “If the assay performance in future, well-designed sequential studies is anywhere close to what this preliminary study suggests, then it could be a gamechanger”.