MEDECA - Markers in Early Detection of Cancer

Launched by DANDERYD HOSPITAL · Apr 3, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The MEDECA study, which stands for Markers in Early Detection of Cancer, is exploring a new blood test that aims to help detect cancer early in patients who have serious but vague symptoms. This is important because catching cancer early can lead to better treatment outcomes. The study will involve 1,500 patients at Danderyd Hospital who have symptoms like severe tiredness, unexplained weight loss, or abnormal lab results. Participants will provide blood samples before undergoing standard cancer diagnostic tests, which may include imaging scans like CT or MRI. Researchers will analyze these blood samples for various markers that could indicate the presence of cancer.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to be at least 18 years old and have one or more of the symptoms mentioned earlier. People who are not willing to participate or are younger than 18 will not be included. If you join the study, you will help researchers understand how effective this new blood test is in detecting cancer, which could potentially lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for patients in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • - Age above 18 years
• One or more of the following symptoms/clinical signs:
• • General malaise
• • Severe tiredness
• • Unintentional weight loss
• • Fever of unknown cause
• • Uncharacteristic pain for \>4 weeks
• • Abnormal laboratory tests (e.g., anemia, elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), calcium etc.)
• • Diffuse pain without explanation
• • Marked increase in drug usage
• • Increasing health service seeking behavior
• • Radiological findings suggestive of metastasis without known primary tumor or suspicion
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Unwillingness to participate in the study
• • Age below 18 years