新血检工具可提前识别HPV相关头颈癌

Core Insights - A new blood testing tool named "HPV-DeepSeek" developed by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital can identify HPV-related head and neck cancers up to 10 years before symptoms appear, potentially improving patient outcomes and quality of life [1][2] - In the U.S., 70% of head and neck cancers are caused by HPV, with incidence rates rising annually. Unlike cervical cancer, there are currently no screening methods for HPV-related head and neck cancers, leading to late diagnoses [1] - The "HPV-DeepSeek" method utilizes whole genome sequencing to detect trace amounts of HPV DNA fragments shed from tumors into the bloodstream, achieving 99% specificity and sensitivity in clinical applications, surpassing existing detection methods [1] Research Findings - In a study involving 56 samples from the Brigham Biobank, "HPV-DeepSeek" detected HPV tumor DNA in 22 out of 28 cancer patients, with the earliest positive sample collected 7.8 years before diagnosis. All control samples tested negative, indicating high specificity [2] - By incorporating machine learning techniques, the research team improved detection sensitivity to identify 27 out of 28 cancer cases, including samples collected up to 10 years prior to diagnosis [2] - Further research is underway using hundreds of samples collected from the National Cancer Institute's screening trials for prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancers to validate these findings [2]