A 'holy grail' blood test that can diagnose any type of cancer years before symptoms appear could be on the horizon. Scientists have discovered a protein released in the early stages of the disease - when tumours are most curable.
It is produced by a gene named KRAS - the most frequent mutation across all tumours including lung, bowel and pancreatic. The breakthrough offers hope of a simple screening program for at risk individuals - such as older or genetically susceptible people.
It would by looking for chemical changes in fragments of genetic code that leak from tumours into the bloodstream.
