Diagnostics

Blood test – cancer and multiple sclerosis detected earlier

Since cancer barely causes any pain in its initial stage, it is often not diagnosed until it may already be too late. This could change soon with the help of blood tests. A group of about 50 German researchers has discovered certain molecules in the blood of patients that indicate serious diseases, such as pancreatic cancer, chronic lung diseases, and multiple sclerosis. Blood tests are currently being developed with the hope that it will become possible to detect several diseases reliably and earlier with only one test. A test phase with a success rate of over 90% has already been very successful. However, even with such good results, it can still take several years for a product that is ready for the market to be approved.

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Stomach cancer bacteria damage human genetic information

Every third cancer death is caused by stomach carcinoma. Thus stomach cancer is one of the most frequent malignant diseases worldwide. Scientists from the Institute for Molecular Cancer Research (Institut für Molekulare Krebsforschung) of the University of Zurich have found out how the well known stomach bacterium helicobacter pylori damages the stomach mucosal cells. An infection with the bacterium leads to breaks in both strands of the genetic information of a human or animal cell. Most breaks can be healed successfully by repair mechanisms of the body if the bacterium is eradicated with antibiotics in a few hours. However, if the infection is of longer duration, the cell can no longer repair itself on its own. Cell death or genetic mutations ensue. The special helicobacter-breath test of the Diagnoseklinik helps you to recognise possible stomach carcinomas early and to initiate the right therapy as soon as possible.