Sign in Subscribe
Social services

Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection Using Cell-Free DNA Methylome Sequencing

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), have developed a novel approach for early cancer detection using cell-free DNA methylome sequencing. This innovative method, known as cfMethyl-Seq, has shown promising results in detecting and locating cancer with high accuracy. By addressing the challenges of low tumor DNA in cell-free DNA, molecular heterogeneity of cancer, and limited sample sizes, this new approach has the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers developed a cancer detection approach that addresses the challenges of low tumor DNA in cell-free DNA, molecular heterogeneity of cancer, and limited sample sizes.
  • The approach consists of an assay, cfMethyl-Seq, which uses cost-effective sequencing of the cell-free DNA methylome with 12-fold enrichment over whole genome bisulfite sequencing in CpG islands.
  • The method achieved 97.9% specificity and 80.7% sensitivity in detecting all-stage cancer and 74.5% sensitivity in detecting early-stage cancer.
  • The approach also achieved 89.1% and 85.0% accuracy for locating the tissue-of-origin of all-stage and early-stage cancer, respectively.
  • cfMethyl-Seq cost-effectively retains methylome profiles of cancer abnormalities, allowing for the extraction of new features and expansion to other cancer types as training cohorts grow.
  • The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute.
  • The study involved 408 colon, liver, lung, and stomach cancer patients and controls.

Statistics:

  • 97.9% specificity in detecting all-stage cancer
  • 80.7% sensitivity in detecting all-stage cancer
  • 74.5% sensitivity in detecting early-stage cancer
  • 89.1% accuracy in locating the tissue-of-origin of all-stage cancer
  • 85.0% accuracy in locating the tissue-of-origin of early-stage cancer
  • 12-fold enrichment of whole genome bisulfite sequencing in CpG islands using cfMethyl-Seq
  • Number of cancer patients involved in the study: 408

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Cancer Detection Study Results from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Described (Cost-effective Methylome Sequencing of Cell-free Dna for Accurately Detecting and Locating Cancer). Cancer Weekly. November 1, 2022; p 577.
  • Cost-effective Methylome Sequencing of Cell-free Dna for Accurately Detecting and Locating Cancer. Nature Communications, 2022;13(1).

Read more