Rather than an invasive procedure to diagnose if a person has cancer, a simple blood test can be used to monitor and detect the presence of cancer in the human body.

Professor of Biochemistry, W. Andy Tao from Purdue University Center for Cancer Research together with his colleagues identify these findings. They detected that when there is an elevated presence of the series of protein in blood plasma, it may signify that a patient has cancer.

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The procedure was done using a blood sample from patients with breast cancer. The researchers analyzed the exosomes and microvesicles in the blood plasma. According to Professor Tao, the method is possible to use to any type of cancer.

Protein phosphorylation is an additional phosphate in a group of protein that is responsible for the formation of the cancerous cell. The phosphorylated proteins also called as "phosphoproteins" is the primary candidate biomarker for cancer.

2,400 phosphoproteins were found in the blood stream, 144 became elevated with patients that have cancer. The researchers compared the result using 1-milliliter blood samples from the 30 breast cancer participants to six healthy controls.

They centrifuge the sample to separate the red blood cells from plasma. Then, an ultra-high speed centrifuge to separate the exosome and microvesicles. The cells released these particles that will, later on, enter the bloodstream.

 Their role involves intercellular communication and suspected to be part of metastasis that spreads cancer throughout the body. Using mass spectrometry, these particles were identified that encapsulate the phosphoproteins.

The use of simple blood test is less invasive rather than removing tissues using biopsies and scopes. Doctors can also do a regular blood test for patients with cancer to monitor the effectiveness treatment; if it is successful they can further monitor the patient's blood if there is a possibility for cancer to return.

Professor Tao is still in the process of analyzing if there is an increased level of phosphoproteins in different kinds of cancer to determine the pattern which signifies the type of cancer a patient has.