New method for detecting cancer developed

From bignewsnetwork:

"U.S. scientists said they invented a method to detect when cells turn cancerous that could aid in developing more effective treatments.

The new method, invented by Olga Troyanskaya and colleagues at Princeton University, analyzes all genes in a cell, looking for abnormalities in chromosomes that indicate it has turned cancerous.

The technique relies on a combination of genetics, computer science and statistics to rapidly search chromosomes for deletions and additions of DNA. The Princeton researchers already have applied the technique to human breast cancer cells and made some interesting discoveries. For example, certain immune system genes are deleted in breast cancer cells."