Better ways to detect and track cancer using simple blood tests are being developed by a Hamilton project.

The tests, known as liquid biopsies , can identify whether tiny amounts of cancer remain after treatment and help doctors better tailor care to each patient.

“We’re anticipating this will soon be a potential standard of care for many cancers,” said Dr. Aly-Khan Lalani, who is one of the leaders of the project. “I think it will be a very important transformation for cancer care. For us in Hamilton to be ahead of that curve is really what I’m excited about here.”

In the future, the hope is patients will get minimal residual disease blood tests after surgery because they can detect microscopic cancer cells in the blood stream that CT scans don’t capture.

Having a more accurate te

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