Science Quickly
How Are Prenatal Blood Tests Detecting Cancer?
Apr 11, 2025
Laura Herscher, a genetic counselor and director of student research at Sarah Lawrence College, dives into the groundbreaking use of non-invasive prenatal blood tests. These tests, while primarily aimed at detecting fetal chromosomal disorders, can also inadvertently reveal cancers in pregnant individuals. Herscher discusses the IDENTIFY study, which examines these unexpected findings. She also highlights the complexities faced by healthcare providers when treating pregnant patients with cancer, emphasizing the need for coordinated care amid evolving treatment challenges.
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Quick takeaways
- Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has revealed the unexpected ability to detect cancer in pregnant individuals, highlighting its potential beyond chromosomal disorder identification.
- The IDENTIFY study emphasizes the need for better coordination between obstetricians and oncologists to address the unique challenges of cancer diagnosis during pregnancy.
Deep dives
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Overview
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has become a common practice in pregnancy care, designed to detect chromosomal disorders in the fetus by analyzing DNA fragments in the mother's blood. This test is preferred over traditional invasive methods, such as amniocentesis, due to its lower risk of complications. Approximately 50% of pregnancies utilize NIPT, which offers a non-invasive and reliable alternative, reducing the anxiety associated with false positives common in older testing methods. However, recent findings have revealed that in rare cases, NIPT can also indicate the presence of cancer in the mother, highlighting the need for further understanding and exploration of this testing method.
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