UCLA Unveils Affordable Blood Test for Cancer Detection

New method analyzes DNA fragments in the blood to identify multiple cancers and organ abnormalities

Apr. 7, 2026 at 5:07am

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A highly detailed, translucent X-ray-style image of a human blood vessel, glowing with vibrant blue and purple hues to represent the DNA fragments circulating in the blood that can signal disease.A new blood test developed at UCLA could provide a comprehensive, affordable way to screen for multiple cancers and other health conditions by analyzing DNA fragments in the bloodstream.Los Angeles Today

UCLA scientists have developed a simple and cost-effective blood test that, in early studies, shows promise in detecting multiple cancers, various liver conditions and organ abnormalities simultaneously by analyzing DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream. The test, called MethylScan, works by analyzing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and could offer a powerful and more affordable approach to early disease detection and comprehensive health monitoring.

Why it matters

Early detection is crucial for improving cancer survival rates, as outcomes are dramatically better when cancers are caught at an earlier stage. This new blood test could provide a more affordable and comprehensive way to screen for a broad spectrum of diseases, reducing the need for invasive procedures like biopsies.

The details

The MethylScan test analyzes DNA methylation patterns in cfDNA, which can reflect the health status of different tissues and organs. By selectively removing background DNA from blood cells, the test can focus on the rare fragments that may signal early cancer or organ damage. In testing, the method achieved high accuracy in detecting multiple cancers, including liver, lung, ovarian and stomach, as well as differentiating between different types of liver disease.

  • The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in April 2026.

The players

Dr. Jasmine Zhou

The study's senior author, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and investigator at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Wenyuan Li

A professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at UCLA and co-corresponding author of the study.

UCLA

The university where the research was conducted and the new blood test was developed.

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What they’re saying

“Early detection is crucial. Survival rates are far higher when cancers are caught before they spread. If you detect cancer at stage one, outcomes are dramatically better than at stage four.”

— Dr. Jasmine Zhou, Professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, UCLA

“DNA methylation reflects the health status of a tissue. It's a very informative signal.”

— Dr. Wenyuan Li, Professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, UCLA

What’s next

The researchers say larger prospective trials will be needed to confirm the test's performance in real-world screening, but the work represents an important step toward a single, affordable blood assay that can detect a broad spectrum of diseases earlier and more comprehensively than current methods.

The takeaway

This new blood test developed by UCLA scientists could revolutionize early disease detection by providing a simple, cost-effective way to screen for multiple cancers and other health conditions using DNA fragments in the bloodstream. If validated in further studies, it could reduce the need for invasive procedures and dramatically improve outcomes by catching diseases at earlier, more treatable stages.