Genetic scrap found in prostate cancer that could yield a test

Cancer researchers in Seattle have concluded that prostate tumors shed tiny but durable strips of genetic material. Existing laboratory tests can identify the genetic molecules, called microRNAs, even if present in only minute amounts in a blood sample. Researchers say that suggests the microRNAs could reveal cancers at their earliest stages.

This is a finding that may allow doctors to give a simple blood test to detect hidden cancer.