Cancer Screening

Context:

• Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests, which use blood samples to detect multiple types of cancer, are emerging as a promising tool for cancer screening.
• Cancer screening involves testing for cancer before symptoms appear, with early detection being key to improving survival rates and reducing treatment costs.
• In India, only a small percentage (0.2-2%) of the population undergoes cancer screening, mainly for cervical, breast, and oral cancers. This low rate is due to factors such as anxiety, embarrassment, lack of support, and limited infrastructure.
• In contrast, countries like the UK have set ambitious goals to increase early-stage cancer diagnoses to 75% by 2028, and nations like Australia have established national screening programs.

Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Tests:

• MCED tests are capable of detecting signals from up to 50 different cancer types, including those for which reliable early screening methods are currently unavailable, such as ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers.
• When combined with traditional screening methods, MCED tests can reduce false positives and potentially identify up to 400,000 additional cancer cases.
• Advantages: MCED tests can accurately pinpoint the location of cancer, detect aggressive cancers, offer reasonable sensitivity at an affordable cost, and have high specificity.
• Risks: However, there is a risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment, which could lead to unnecessary physical, psychological, and financial burdens.
• As of now, these tests are not FDA-approved in the United States or approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in India. They are currently available as Laboratory-Developed Tests (LDTs).

Cancer Statistics:

• Cancer accounts for 18% of deaths caused by non-communicable diseases.
• It is the second leading cause of mortality in India, with around 14 lakh (1.4 million) new cancer cases reported in 2022.
• Among women, the most common cancers are breast, cervical, ovarian, and colorectal cancers, while lung, esophageal, colorectal, and stomach cancers are most prevalent among men, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).