Multi-cancer Detection Using Pattern Formation in Drying Body Fluids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biophysics
• Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

• Early cancer detection is crucial for improving treatment outcomes and reducing mortality.
• Diagnostic patterning tests (DPTs), analyzing self-organized patterns in drying body fluids, represent an emerging diagnostic modality.
• The accuracy of DPTs for multi-cancer detection remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the diagnostic accuracy of DPTs for multi-cancer detection.
• To assess the performance of DPTs across various cancer types, stages, and control groups.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, eLibrary Russia).
• Inclusion of 41 studies with 15,969 participants (5265 cancer cases, 189 precancerous cases).
• Quality assessment using QUADAS-2 tool and meta-analysis following Cochrane Handbook guidelines.

Main Results:

• Pooled sensitivity of DPTs was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.83-0.93) and pooled specificity was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.84-0.93).
• Copper chloride crystallization in blood showed high sensitivity (0.93) and specificity (0.93).
• DPTs demonstrated satisfactory accuracy in detecting over 50 cancer types, despite study heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Diagnostic patterning tests exhibit promising accuracy for detecting a wide range of cancers.
• Further research is warranted to validate DPTs for early cancer detection applications.
• DPTs hold potential as a non-invasive tool to aid in cancer diagnostics.