A study published by The New England Journal of Medicine found that in a test meant to screen for fetal chromosomal abnormalities, individuals receiving unusual results were found to have specific types of cancer. This unusual identification is peculiar most notably as the individuals involved in the use of these prenatal tests are typically young, so identifying cancers within that age range at all is very uncommon. Although these rare, abnormal results are exceedingly infrequent, within the group of women who received these specific results nearly 50% were currently affected by (primarily) Lymphoma Colon, or Breast cancer, among others. Typically these unusual and “indecipherable” results occur in around one out of over 8000 tests performed.
Studies such as these that discover utility associated with previously nonsensical data sets are always exceedingly intriguing. Not only does a functional discovery for erroneous data resolve the irregularities found with certain tests, which may previously have been considered a factor of inaccuracy, but this also provides alternative methods to use specific tests already manufactured on a significant scale, making modification and production of alternative test-types a viable and simple process.
Links:
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/abnormal-prenatal-blood-test-results-could-indicate-hidden-maternal-cancers#:~:text=Researchers%20at%20the%20National%20Institutes,chromosomal%20disorders%20in%20the%20fetus.
No comments:
Post a Comment