Cancer is a national health crisis. This year, 1.8 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Treatment options can be grueling, draining, and take months to put the patient’s cancer in remission. And the more advanced the cancer is before doctors diagnose it, the less likely it is the patient will survive.
So it is good to hear that a new cancer screening test may be able to detect cancer cells in the human body much earlier than doctors are currently capable of doing. According to NBC News, a test called PanSeer can potentially uncover five types of cancer up to four years earlier.
Test shows high accuracy for detection of certain cancers
PanSeer looks for suspicious DNA fragments in the patient’s blood. These pieces of DNA are associated with cancers of the esophagus, colon, liver, lungs and stomach. Researchers say the system is 95 percent accurate in people with one of these forms of cancer but without symptoms. However, PanSeer cannot tell doctors exactly which of the five cancers the patient has, so further testing would be needed.
Early detection gives cancer patients the best chance of successful treatment and long-term remission. Still, not every cancer case is caught early. In some cases, remission is not possible. Doctors must focus treatment on mitigating symptoms and keeping the patient alive and comfortable for as long as possible.
Making ends meet while battling cancer
A patient living with terminal cancer may not have the strength to continue working. Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits can help make up for lost income, but the approval process can be long and complicated. Instead of trying to work it out yourself, having an SSD attorney working on your case can save you considerable time and stress.