New Biomarkers Could Detect Cancers Sooner
Monday, January 17, 2011
By: Euna Lhee, HealthyState.org

January 17, 2011 | WMFE - Researchers at Florida State University are working to find ways to detect breast and prostate cancers sooner. They hope to identify new "biomarkers" that could reduce the number of patients who die from these cancers.

Courtesy of el hombre roto on Flickr.

Biomarkers are substances that can act as signals for scientists. These molecules can indicate normal processes taking place in the body, like pregnancy, and also unusual ones, like cancer.

Florida State University researcher Amy Sang said she hopes to find new biomarkers that can lead to more effective treatments and early diagnoses for cancer patients.

"What would we like to achieve is, you know, life-threatening cancer to become a manageable disease," Sang said. "What that means is, we hope that the patient can survive."

Sang said she has identified some preliminary biomarkers for breast and prostate cancers, but it could take 10 to 20 years for the FDA to officially recognize them.