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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Ultra-sensitive test detects a whisper of tumour DNA

A tumour’s genomic fingerprint provides a way to track minute quantities of cancer DNA in a person’s bloodstream.
Metastatic lung cancer. Light micrograph of a section through bowel tissue showing a secondary (metastatic) tumour.

A tumour of the bowel wall. A protocol for detecting trace amounts of tumour DNA in a blood sample could help to guide treatment of people with cancer. Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/SPL

A genomic technique that detects minuscule quantities of tumour DNA in the blood could help to determine whether people who have had tumour-removal surgery are cancer-free or need further treatment.

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Nature 582, 151 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01640-x

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