We know that early detection improves outcomes for many cancer patients. What if doctors had a simple blood test that could detect cancer before any symptoms appeared? That’s exactly what Dr. Raymond Kim is developing at The Princess Margaret.“New technologies offer a higher level of accuracy in detecting cancer.”
– Dr. Raymond Kim
As Medical Geneticist and Director of Cancer Early Detection at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Kim and his team are currently validating this very idea. It’s called a circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) liquid biopsy test, a simple, non-invasive blood test for patients with a hereditary cancer syndrome (HCS).
One of the patients who has benefited from this test is Luana Locke, who was diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant with her first child. Her diagnosis triggered genetic testing that revealed she had a rare hereditary disorder that comes with an almost 100% chance of developing cancer again in her lifetime.
Dr. Kim’s research provides hope for families of patients like Luana, who will benefit from an early detection approach that proactively detects cancer, getting ahead of the disease to stop cancer in its tracks.
“New technologies offer a higher level of accuracy in detecting cancer,” says Dr. Kim. He believes that genetic testing provides something like a “crystal ball into someone’s future.”
And today, genetic testing provides doctors with the vital information they need to develop personalized treatment plans for cancer patients.
Thank you for being a part of these exciting developments in cancer care. Your generosity is helping move us toward the day when cancer can be intercepted before symptoms even occur.
The Benefits of Early Cancer Detection:
- Cancers caught in stages 1 or 2 drastically improved survival rates by 10x.
- Early detection gives patients more treatment options, including non-radiation.
- Short- and long-term side effects from treatments are lessened when cancer is caught earlier.
- Quality of life is better during treatment when cancer is caught earlier.
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