A spectroscopic liquid biopsy for the earlier detection of multiple cancer types - Article open - Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions

Sep 24, 2026

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A rapid, low-cost spectroscopic blood test is evaluated for reliable detection of eight cancer types at earlier stages. A large-scale discovery study (n=2092) applies Dxcover® Cancer Liquid Biopsy, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with machine-learning algorithms. Performance is reported via ROC analysis, including pooled “any cancer” classification. Findings show clinically meaningful Stage I detection when tuned by sensitivity and specificity requirements. Translational relevance highlights pan-omic tumor and immune marker profiling and ease of integration into existing diagnostic pathways.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Statement of Translational Relevance

Introduction

[www.nature.com/bjc](www.nature.com/bjc British)[ British](www.nature.com/bjc British) Journal of Cancer ARTICLE OPEN A spectroscopic liquid biopsy for the earlier detection of multiple cancer types James M. Cameron 1,7, Alexandra Sala 1,7, Georgios Antoniou 1, Paul M. Brennan 2, Holly J. Butler1, Justin J. A. Conn1, Siobhan Connal1,3, Tom Curran4, Mark G. Hegarty1, Rose G. McHardy 1,2, Daniel Orringer5, David S. Palmer 1,2, Benjamin R. Smith1 and Matthew J. Baker1,6 ✉ © The Author(s) 2023 | | BACKGROUND: A rapid, low-cost blood test that can be applied to reliably detect multiple different cancer types would be transformational.
METHODS: In this large-scale discovery study (n = 2092 patients) we applied the Dxcover® Cancer Liquid Biopsy to examine eight different cancers. The test uses Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and machine-learning algorithms to detect cancer. RESULTS: Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) values were calculated for eight cancer types versus symptomatic non-cancer controls: brain (0.90), breast (0.76), colorectal (0.91), kidney (0.91), lung (0.91), ovarian (0.86), pancreatic (0.84) and prostate (0.86). We assessed the test performance when all eight cancer types were pooled to classify ‘any cancer’ against non-cancer patients. The cancer versus asymptomatic non-cancer classiﬁcation detected 64% of Stage I cancers when speciﬁcity was 99%(overall sensitivity 57%). When tuned for higher sensitivity, this model identiﬁed 99% of Stage I cancers (with speciﬁcity 59%) .
CONCLUSIONS: This spectroscopic blood test can effectively detect early-stage disease and can be ﬁne-tuned to maximise either sensitivity or speciﬁcity depending on the requirements from different healthcare systems and cancer diagnostic pathways. This low-cost strategy could facilitate the requisite earlier diagnosis, when cancer treatment can be more effective, or less toxic. STATEMENT OF TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: The earlier diagnosis of cancer is of paramount importance to improve patient survival. Current liquid biopsies are mainly focused on single tumour-derived biomarkers, which limits test sensitivity, especially for early-stage cancers that do not shed enough genetic material. This pan-omic liquid biopsy analyses the full complement of tumour and immune-derived markers present within blood derivatives and could facilitate the earlier detection of multiple cancer types. There is a low barrier to integrating this blood test into existing diagnostic pathways since the technology is rapid, simple to use, only minute sample volumes are required, and sample preparation is minimal. In addition, the spectroscopic liquid biopsy described in this study has the potential to be combined with other orthogonal tests, such as cell-free DNA, which could provide an efﬁcient route to diagnosis Cancer treatment can be more effective when given earlier, and this low-cost strategy has the potential | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | .
to improve patient prognosis. | | | | | British Journal of Cancer (2023) 129:1658–1666; [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-023-02423-7](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-023-02423-7) | | | | | | INTRODUCTION Earlier detection of cancers is of vital importance in improving patient survival, since earlier diagnosis and treatment can maximise the opportunity to combat or control disease progression. When cancer is diagnosed at an earlier stage, surgical resection is more often achievable, reducing or avoiding the toxicity of radiotherapy or chemotherapy—a reported 70% of early-stage tumours (Stage I) are treated with surgery, whereas only ~13% of Stage IV cancers undergo resection [1] . Delayed diagnosis can permit local cancer spread and metastasis, with

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study?

To assess a rapid, low-cost blood test that can reliably detect multiple different cancer types, especially at earlier stages.

How does the Dxcover® liquid biopsy work?

It uses Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with machine-learning algorithms to detect cancer-associated signals.

What detection performance was reported for early-stage cancers?

The pooled model detected 64% of Stage I cancers at 99% specificity, and when tuned for higher sensitivity it identified 99% of Stage I cancers with 59% specificity.

Sep 24, 2026

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