With the proportion of new cancer cases diagnosed increasing, more effort and new strategies need to be applied to early diagnostics. There is a great deal of evidence to show that early diagnosis is an important factor for surviving cancer. However, an accurate and cost-effective detection of early tumours is still lacking, and the development of screening programmes and organised early diagnostics is highly desirable.
The EpiSwitch™ technology provides a non-invasive and highly specific alternative for early detection of tumours. The EpiSwitch™ tests can detect aberrant gene expression in very low copy numbers of circulating tumour cells present in blood and offer a binary readout symptomatic of early gene deregulation events.
Early diagnostics and screening for cancer are still very limited worldwide. This occurs for many reasons, including cultural and religious beliefs, lack of information, limited access to programmes, and the low prioritisation or insufficient funding for implementation of preventive programmes. Only a limited number of screening programmes have been introduced so far in the UK including breast, cervical and bowel cancers. Although they are not fully effective, there is enough evidence to show that they can reduce the risk of developing cancer in a high percentage of tested individuals, and lower mortality rates.
