The MEDECA study
Early diagnosis of cancer is key for improving patient outcomes, but cancers are difficult to diagnose if patients present with unspecific symptoms. The principal objective of MEDECA, Markers in Early Detection of Cancer, is to identify a multi-analyte blood test that can detect and map occult cancer within a mixed population of patients presenting with serious but unspecific symptoms.
We are including 1,500 patients referred to the Diagnostic Center at Danderyd Hospital (DC DS), a multidisciplinary diagnostic center referral pathway for patients with radiological findings suggestive of metastasis without known primary tumor or suspicion of serious but unspecific symptoms.
Blood samples are collected prior to a standardized and extensive cancer diagnostic work-up, including a wide range of biochemical analyses and extensive imaging such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance investigations.
In collaboration with world-leading national and international scientists, the blood samples are analyzed for a panel of novel and established blood biomarkers predictive of an underlying cancer, including markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), affinity-based proteomics, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics and whole blood N-glycomics. The diagnostic accuracy of the blood biomarkers with respect to cancer detection during the diagnostic work-up are analyzed through machine learning.
Funded by:
- Region Stockholm
- The Swedish Research Council
- ALF Medicin
- Svenska Läkarsällskapet
- Stitching af Jochnick Foundation
In collaboration with:
- Uppsala University (Mikael Åberg)
- Leiden University Medical Center (Manfred Wuhrer)
- University of Oxford (Fay Probert)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Nigel Mackman)