One of the most widely used method of early cancer diagnosis to date is the use of cancer markers. It is also used in current cancer screening and prevention programmes in Lithuania, which focus on a single cancer type. It is important to note that cancer marker technology may not detect a tumour or another type of cancer. The technology is based on the fact that cancer cells produce more intensively certain protein substances called cancer markers, which are produced in very small amounts by cells in a healthy body. These can be detected in the blood using special tests. Small amounts of various cancer markers are found in the blood of a healthy person.
Cancer cells intensively express cancer markers, which are found in much higher levels in the blood. Detailed examination of the relevant organs, depending on which marker has been elevated, can lead to the diagnosis of early-stage malignancy. However, the level of particular cancer markers in the blood can increase not only in oncological diseases, but also in some other non-malignant diseases, such as prostate enlargement, inflammation or benign tumours. For example, the marker for ovarian cancer may increase during pregnancy. In addition, sometimes even in the presence of cancer, the tumour does not produce cancer markers and blood levels are not elevated.
Another disadvantage is that these technologies do not detect non-carcinoma cancer cells, as these cells are negative for these markers. In addition to the aforementioned advantages of being able to detect dozens of types of solid cancers from a single venous blood sample and which organ is affected, Trucheck™ method also includes the testing of tissue and organ-specific markers, and the testing of markers that differentiate between carcinomas and other types of cancer cells that are characteristic of other types of cancer, such as gliomas, sarcomas and neuroendocrine tumours.
So far, no country has included cancer marker tests in screening – cancer prevention programmes – because the variation can be very large, and if one marker or another is within the normal range, there is no guarantee that a person is free from disease. The Trucheck™ test is currently being submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to be added to the list of trials for breast and prostate cancer prevention programmes. Comparisons show that Trucheck™ has 4 times the specificity of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, and when compared to mammography, it has both higher specificity and sensitivity.
Testing is carried out in a laboratory with the highest accreditation
The Trucheck™ cancer test is the result of many years of inter-institutional, interdisciplinary collaboration, international scientific and clinical research, and innovation. This early diagnostic liquid biopsy method has been validated and confirmed in a study involving more than 57,000 individuals. The venous blood sample is analyzed in a highly accredited laboratory in the United Kingdom, near London, with state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified researchers. This ensures that the tests are standardized and accurate, and that the services provided meet the highest quality standards.
Today, two types of Trucheck™ tests are available: Trucheck™ Intelli, which detects up to 70 different types of malignant solid tumours, and Trucheck™ FemmeSafe, which is designed to detect breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical malignancies in women. By prior arrangement and payment for the test, a blood sample (30-40ml, depending on the test to be performed) is taken at the Trucheck™ office located in the Rezus.lt clinic at Švitrigailos st. 11B, Vilnius.
Within 24 – 48 hours the blood sample is delivered to the Datar Cancer Genetics laboratory.
This is provided by the official Lithuanian representative of Datar cancer genetics, a leading international company in the field of oncology, operating in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and India. For more information about the study, please contact the representative at https://www.trucheck.lt/, by phone +37068508903 or by email at [email protected]. After completing the registration form on the website, the person will be contacted with suggested dates when he/she can come for the test.
Please note that the patient must be fasting for at least 6-8 hours prior to the Trucheck™ test, but can and should drink water. No radiological procedure should be performed for at least 72 hours (about 4-5 days is recommended) prior to the blood collection procedure. No blood transfusion or infusion of other blood components should be performed. It is very important to comply with these requirements, otherwise the test results may be inaccurate. The test response is given within 10-14 working days of the sample being delivered to the laboratory.
