When patients seek care for non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, pain or weight loss, it is often difficult to determine whether the cause is cancer, another serious condition or something completely harmless.

In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital, together with Örebro University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SciLifeLab at Uppsala University, have investigated whether proteins in the blood can provide early clues.

Protein signature linked to cancer

The study analyzed blood samples from nearly 700 patients referred to the Diagnostic Center at Danderyd Hospital and Örebro University Hospital in Sweden. The samples were taken before the diagnostic investigation began.