Key points from article :
Researchers found proteins in blood that could predict cancer risk over 7 years before diagnosis.
These might help identify people at high risk of cancer and develop strategies for prevention and treatment.
One study analyzed blood samples from 44,000 people (4900 developed cancer after sample collection).
618 proteins were linked to 19 different cancers, 107 found more than 7 years before diagnosis.
In the second study, 40 proteins in the blood were found to influence risk of 9 cancers.
Targeting these proteins may increase or decrease the chances of developing cancer, and may also lead to unintended side effects.
This research could lead to early cancer detection and prevention.
"Now we need to study these proteins in depth to see which ones could be reliably used for prevention," - Keren Papier, joint lead author.
Studies by Oxford Population Health, published in Nature Communications.
