BEIJING, Feb. 19 — U.S. researchers unveiled a new way to detect cancers by identifying the unique changes that occur in the DNA of cancerous cells, AFP reported Friday.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. used the cutting-edge DNA sequencing and identified the radical genomic rearrangements that occur only in tumors, not in healthy cells.

The DNA rearrangements that occur in cancerous cells are unique, which makes it easier for scientists to detect them.

The new method to detect the DNA rearrangements was dubbed PARE, for Personalized Analysis of Rearranged Ends, said Victor Velculescu, an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University and senior author of the study.

PARE could also be used to determine if a patient’s cancer was completely removed by surgery, said the researchers.

The researchers hope PARE’s cancer detection methods will be accessible to clinicians and their patients within the next two years. 

On Xinhua Web site: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-02/19/c_13179346.htm