A NEW BLOOD test can search for multiple cancers is not being used in Ireland for screening, although trials for the test are underway in the United Kingdom. 

The miONCO-Dx blood test analyses circulating tumour DNA found in a patient’s blood sample. The test is minimally invasive, only requiring a single blood sample, rather than a surgical biopsy, and can detect multiple genes at the same time. 

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is trialling the test with 8,000 patients, with initial tests producing “promising results”. The department of health and social care said the test can detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers at an early stage, with over 99% accuracy.

The department also said: “The test works by measuring the microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and if so, where it is located in the body.”

However, the test will not be available in Ireland for now.

A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive told The Journal that “evidence gaps” remain in relation to the test and research trials are ongoing which will “guide” the adoption of miONCO-Dx blood test into standard clinical practice in Ireland.

There are other Multi-Cancer Tests (MCTs) which are diagnostic tools that search for multiple cancers simultaneously using a single sample such as blood, urine, breath, or stool.

The tests can detect cancer cell DNA fragments, cancer cells, or cancer related proteins.