A Novel Molecular Approach to Blood DNA Screening for Cancer: Specificity Assessment (The NOMAD Study)

Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess blood level distributions of candidate methylated DNA tumor markers across a cohort of patients without known cancer or precancer and, thereby, to estimate specificity cutoffs across a range of percentiles.

II. To evaluate the effects on marker levels (or test specificity) of selected demographic, exposure, medication, and chronic disease covariates.

III. To build a biospecimen archive to facilitate assessment of clinical specificity in future molecular blood test studies or appraisal of test refinements.

IV. Assess feasibility for detection of cancer using urine samples to assay MDMs, RNA or protein in cell free or extra-cellular vesicles.

V. Assess feasibility for detection of cancer using saliva to assay MDMs, RNA or protein in cell free or extra-cellular vesicles.