Multi-Cancer Detection Blood Test to Enable Early Diagnosis and Treatment
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 04 Jan 2023 |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Device Designation to a Multi-Cancer Detection Blood Test (MCDBT) that is intended for early detection of multiple cancer types (esophageal, liver, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers) in adults of either sex, aged 50-75 years old, at average risk for cancer.
In May 2022, Burning Rock Biotech Limited (Shanghai, China) had received CE mark for its OverC MCDBT manufactured in both its US and China facilities. Now, the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation granted for OverC MCDBT will pave the way for a clearer registration path through confirmative performance validation and utility establishment. Burning Rock’s OverC MCDBT demonstrated 69.1% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity in the case-control study, THUNDER, and will be further validated in prospective interventional studies among asymptomatic population. Test results of "Detected" with the top one or two predicted tissues of origin of cancer-associated signals may indicate the presence of cancer and should be followed up by diagnostic tests suggested by qualified healthcare professionals in accordance with professional guidelines. Test results of "Undetected" do not rule out the presence of cancer, and individuals should continue with guideline-recommended standard of care screening tests.
Compared with conventional cancer screening methods, liquid biopsy has the potential to increase detection efficiency and enable early diagnosis and treatment, thus improving patients' survival and quality of life while reducing social burden of the disease. Burning Rock had begun the development of multi-cancer early detection technology based on DNA methylation in 2016, and the technology and validation data have been presented at ASCO, ESMO and other medical conferences, as well as journals such as Nature Biomedical Engineering, demonstrating high specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy in predicting the tissue of origin.
“We are very excited that our cfDNA methylation multi-cancer early detection technology has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation. For cancer, early diagnosis and treatment are the key to the long-term survival of patients. Liquid biopsy-based early detection technology will be an important supplement to the current cancer screening methods, especially for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and other cancers that have no effective screening methods up to now,” said Mr. Yusheng Han, founder and CEO of Burning Rock. “Burning Rock has also launched two prospectively collected case-control studies, PREDICT and PRESCIENT, with more than 10,000 subjects to be enrolled, to continue developing OverC MCDBT to cover more cancer types. With our promising clinical research data, we believe that over time our collective effort is going to make significant impact towards the improvement of cancer patients' lifespan and quality of life.”
Related Links:
Burning Rock Biotech Limited
Latest Molecular Diagnostics News
- New Library Normalization and Amplification Tools Support Oncology Sequencing
- Ultrasensitive HPV Blood Test Predicts Early Recurrence in Head and Neck Cancer
- Statistical Method Improves Detection of Low-Level Cancer DNA in Blood Samples
- AI Tool Improves Accuracy of Cancer Liquid Biopsy for Therapy Selection
- Targeted RNA Test Enhances Genetic Diagnosis in Exome Sequencing
- Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Cancer
- Study Highlights Inherited Breast Cancer Risk Genes in Young Black Women
- New PCR Assay Supports Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Surveillance
- Blood-Based RNA Test May Predict Chemotherapy Sensitivity in Lung Cancer
- Plasma Protein Signature Predicts Lung Cancer Risk Up to Five Years Ahead
- Circulating Tumor DNA Testing Guides Chemotherapy, Reduces Relapse in Colon Cancer
- Researchers Uncover Distinct Chromosome Signature in Aggresive ALT Cancers
- Simple Cytogenetic Method Could Improve Classification of ALL Subtypes
- Blood-Based Assay Enables Noninvasive Monitoring of Sarcoma Immunotherapy Response
- Genomic Test Guides Chemotherapy Decisions in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
- Tumor Mutation Marker Helps Refine Lung Cancer Prognosis and Guide Therapy Selection
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Simple Blood-Based Cholesterol Efflux Assay Identifies High-Risk Coronary Plaque Features
Unstable coronary plaques are difficult to identify before they trigger acute cardiovascular events. Standard high-density lipoprotein (HDL) measurements do not always capture how well HDL particles function... Read more
Plasma Vitamin C Levels Associated with Brain Structure and Connectivity in Aging
Previous studies have linked vitamin C–rich diets with lower risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. However, few investigations have directly examined blood plasma vitamin C in relation to brain... Read more
Mass Spectrometry Detects Tumor Metabolites for Cancer Monitoring
Cancer’s altered metabolism complicates how clinicians detect and monitor tumors, because nutrient use can shift with context and time. Measuring small-molecule metabolites that distinguish malignant from... Read more
Urinary Biomarker Assay Predicts Kidney Disease Progression Beyond Standard Measures
Many patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease continue to experience progressive renal decline, yet conventional markers such as albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)... Read moreHematology
view channel
Next-Generation Hematology Platform Streamlines High-Complexity Lab Workflows
Sysmex America (Chicago, IL, USA) has introduced the next generation XR-Series, centered on the XR-10 Automated Hematology Module for high-complexity laboratories. The platform builds on the widely used... Read more
Blood Eosinophil Count May Predict Cancer Immunotherapy Response and Toxicity
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes across many cancers, yet only a subset of patients derive durable benefit and biomarkers to guide treatment remain limited. Eosinophils, best known for... Read moreImmunology
view channelAptamer-Based Biosensor Enables Mutation-Resilient SARS-CoV-2 Detection
Rapid evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can undermine existing molecular diagnostics, especially when assays target small viral components. Double-antibody sandwich... Read more
Study Points to Autoimmune Pathway Behind Long COVID Symptoms
Long COVID leaves many SARS-CoV-2 survivors with persistent fatigue, cognitive issues, palpitations, and musculoskeletal pain for months or years. Estimates cited in new research suggest 4%–20% of infected... Read more
Metabolic Biomarker Distinguishes Latent from Active Tuberculosis and Tracks Treatment Response
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the world’s leading infectious killer, with 10.8 million cases and 1.25 million deaths recorded globally in 2023. Yet many infected individuals never develop active disease, underscoring... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
TORCH Infection Trends Point to Need for Tailored Screening in Pregnancy
Congenital TORCH infections can be asymptomatic during pregnancy yet cause stillbirth, birth defects, and lifelong disability in infants. Many regions still lack robust surveillance to guide testing and... Read more
New Culture Medium Speeds C. difficile Resistance Detection and Reduces Costs
Clostridioides difficile infections remain a persistent threat in hospitals and communities, affecting about 500,000 people in the United States each year. Severe cases can be fatal within 30 days of diagnosis,... Read morePathology
view channel
Uncertainty-Aware AI Platform Supports Automated HER2 Assessment in Breast Cancer
Accurate assessment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is critical for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment selection, yet scoring variability and infrastructure requirements can complicate... Read more
AI Tool Speeds Brain Tumor Classification from Routine Histology Slides
Accurate classification of brain and spinal cord tumors increasingly depends on molecular profiling alongside histology, but access to such testing remains limited and results can take about two weeks.... Read more
IHC Companion Diagnostic Standardizes Mismatch Repair Testing for Cancer Immunotherapy
Deficient DNA mismatch repair is an established predictive biomarker for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, yet access to standardized assessment has varied across tumor types. Cancer remains the... Read moreTechnology
view channel
AI Platform Links Biomarker Results to Cancer Clinical Trials and Guidelines
Oncology teams must manage growing volumes of genomic data, rapidly evolving clinical trial options, and frequently updated care guidelines, all within tight clinic schedules. Translating complex tumor... Read more
Agentic AI Platform Supports Genomic Decision-Making in Oncology
Oncology care teams increasingly face the challenge of managing complex molecular diagnostics, evolving treatment options, and extensive electronic health record documentation. Translating multimodal data... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Open-Source Consortium Aims to Standardize Digital Pathology Workflows
Digital pathology is expanding rapidly as laboratories adopt whole-slide imaging and computational tools to meet growing diagnostic and biomarker-testing demand. However, fragmented software infrastructure... Read more








