Present status of serological tests for cancer

The cancer problem is increasing as life expectancy increases and greater portions of the populace live to the age at which cancer is more likely. Early diagnosis still is difficult. Even with modern methods and with considerable public education with regard to cancer, the disease is often not diagnosed until it is beyond the stage at which cure might be effected. The need for a serodiagnostic test for general screening purposes for cancer detection is tremendous. The major objective of cancer serodiagnostic test methods is to discover a general test that will detect cancer in a high percentage of cases while it is in an early stage; that will give few "false positive" results; that can be done in any laboratory; and that is simple and inexpensive. Many serodiagnostic tests for cancer have been published but none has proven worthy of being a good general test to detect cancer. Yet unless some serodiagnostic test which will be suitable for general screening purposes is developed, it is difficult to see how there can be much improvement in the early diagnosis of cancer, particularly internal cancer. It is hoped that an open-minded attitude will be maintained by physicians on this subject. Recent reports of such a test being developed are encouraging and it is hoped that continued investigations will be confirmatory.