Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have devised a new screening method that combines laser analysis with a type of AI to identify patients in the earliest stage of breast cancer.

The fast, non-invasive technique reveals subtle changes in the bloodstream that occur during the initial phases of the disease, known as stage 1a, which are not detectable with existing tests.

The new technique works by first shining a laser beam into blood plasma taken from patients, with the properties of the light after it interacts with the blood then analysed using a device called a spectrometer, revealing tiny changes in the chemical make-up of cells and tissues, which are early indicators of disease.

A machine learning algorithm was then used to interpret the results, identifying similar features and helping to classify samples.

In the pilot study involving 12 samples from breast cancer patients and 12 healthy controls, the technique was 98% effective at identifying breast cancer at stage 1a.

The test could also distinguish between each of the four main subtypes of breast cancer with an accuracy of more than 90%, which could enable patients to receive more effective, personalised treatment

The Edinburgh researchers say their new method could improve early detection and monitoring of the disease, and pave the way for a screening test for multiple forms of cancer. 

“Most deaths from cancer occur following a late-stage diagnosis after symptoms become apparent, so a future screening test for multiple cancer types could find these at a stage where they can be far more easily treated,” said Dr Andy Downes, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering.

“Early diagnosis is key to long-term survival, and we finally have the technology required. We just need to apply it to other cancer types and build up a database, before this can be used as a multi-cancer test.”

Implementing the new technique as a screening test could help identify more people in the earliest stages of breast cancer, improving the chances of treatment, with the team now aiming to expand the work to involve more participants and include tests for early forms of other cancer types.

Although similar approaches have already been trialled to screen for other types of the disease, the earliest detection was at stage two, the team said.

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The new technology is a further step in the use of emerging technologies in cancer detection by Scottish researchers. In October, a team from the University of Glasgow announced the development of an AI tool to improve treatment for people with rectal cancer, while in August,  Heriot-Watt University’s MicroSNARE project was awarded over £750,000 to develop less invasive cancer detection tests.

Meanwhile, an earlier collaboration between scientists from Glasgow and New York University created a computer system using AI to ‘learn the language of cancer’, spotting signs of the disease with apparently remarkable accuracy.