Detectable: Pre-cancerous state in the blood identified

An easily detectable, ‘pre-malignant’ state in the blood has been discovered that significantly increases the likelihood that an individual will go on to develop blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myelodysplastic syndrome. The discovery, which was made independently by two research teams opens new avenues for research aimed at early detection and prevention of blood cancer. Most genetic research on cancer to date has focused on studying the genomes of advanced cancers, to identify the genes that are mutated in various cancer types. New studies looked at somatic mutations, mutations that cells acquire over time as they replicate and regenerate within the body.  The study was done on DNA samples collected from the blood of individuals not known to have cancer or blood disorders.