Research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that abnormal results in prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, used to screen for chromosomal disorders in fetuses, revealed previously undetected cancers in almost half of pregnant individuals. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, identified various cancers such as colorectal, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers, as well as hematopoietic and solid organ malignancies. The study used whole-body MRI and other diagnostic tests to detect cancer, highlighting the need for further research to validate patterns in cfDNA sequencing that could indicate cancer in asymptomatic pregnant individuals.
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Abnormal prenatal blood test results could indicate hidden maternal cancers
