New blood test may transform the way cancer is monitored and treated

(Elsevier) Stanford University scientists have described a new type of test that can detect genetic mutations in minute amounts of DNA released from cancer cells into the blood. The test, which is called single color digital PCR, requires only a fraction of a tube of blood and can detect as few as three mutation-bearing molecules in a single reaction. According to the report, this highly sensitive test has the potential to be personalized to recognize mutations unique to any individual cancer.