SeekIn’s SeekInCare blood test has shown a specificity rate of 98.3% for early cancer detection, according to a study published in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
SeekInCare is a multi-omics, non-invasive diagnostic tool designed to be employed in the early identification of various types of cancers.
The SeekInCare test uses shallow whole-genome sequencing of cell-free DNA and assesses seven protein tumour markers from an 8ml blood sample. It employs artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyse cancer hallmarks and predict the tissue of origin, distinguishing effectively between cancerous and non-cancerous individuals.
In a retrospective study involving 617 cancer patients across 27 types and 580 non-cancer individuals, the test demonstrated a sensitivity rate of 60%, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.899.
Sensitivity rates increased with advanced cancer stages: 37.7% for stage I, 50.4% for stage II, 66.7% for stage III, and 78.1% for stage IV.
Further validation in a prospective cohort of 1,203 individuals revealed a sensitivity rate of 70% at 95.2% specificity over a median follow-up period of 753 days. These results position SeekInCare as comparable to other leading multi-cancer early detection tests under development.
SeekIn founder and CEO Mao Mao said: “Our findings demonstrate that integrating multiple molecular signatures from blood can significantly enhance the sensitivity and specificity of early cancer detection.
“SeekInCare’s robust performance in both retrospective and prospective cohorts supports its potential clinical utility as a screening tool, particularly for high-risk populations.”
SeekInCare is aimed to address challenges in traditional cancer screenings that often target specific types and require invasive procedures, thereby facilitating broad-spectrum cancer detection from a single blood draw.
The test was developed to detect cancers while still treatable by integrating genomic and epigenetic analyses with protein biomarkers and proprietary AI algorithms. It is intended for individuals at elevated risk due to factors such as smoking and chronic conditions and can be used alongside existing single-cancer screening tests.
Founded in Shenzhen, China, in 2018, SeekIn focuses on blood-based early cancer detection using next-generation sequencing and AI technologies. The SeekInCare test received CE-IVD mark approval in November 2021.
