What change occurs in a person 10 years before cancer: This is the first signal

Cambridge University researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms of cancer tumor formation. Scientists have studied in detail the changes occurring in cells at the earliest stages of malignant formation.

The sensational conclusion of the study: the first signs of oncological disease may appear many years before the complete formation of a dangerous tumor in the body.

"As part of the research, specialists aimed to identify ways to treat tumors before they cause symptoms. The basis is the fact that many people develop precancerous conditions that remain hidden for a long time," reports Pronews.gr.

The head of the research, Rebecca Fitzgerald, emphasized the importance of the discovery: "Cancer can develop for years."

"In many cases, the disease is found in patients suddenly. Today, doctors face difficulties when the disease, having spread throughout the body, is difficult to cure. Obviously, a different approach is needed. It is based on detecting the disease at the earliest stage using tests that can be conducted on a large number of people," Fitzgerald noted.

During the study, scientists discovered characteristic changes in blood samples of patients 10, and in some cases even 20 years before the first symptoms of cancer appeared.

"These are clear genetic changes, for example, more than a decade before a person begins to show symptoms of leukemia," the researcher confirmed.

According to Fitzgerald, the identified features open up a huge "window of opportunity" that "can be used to treat the dangerous disease." Scientific work in this direction continues.