Grab the claw

A real breakthrough is expected in the field of oncology — for the first time in Belarus, the country’s medical scientists are conducting an experiment using the PanTum Detect test, which allows detecting cancer at different stages

PanTum Detect — a large-scale Belarusian-German project of technology transfer, in the creation and development of which doctors and scientists from leading state specialised medical centres took part: the Alexandrov National Cancer Centre, Vitebsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and other structural subdivisions of the National Academy of Sciences.

The earlier the better

About 50,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in our country every year. Oncology ranks second in the general structure of mortality of the population. And this despite the fact that early diagnosis of cancer allows one to get timely medical care and reduce the risk of complications, relapses and death. The treatment of oncological diseases in the early stages is more gentle, due to which the rehabilitation period is reduced, and the chances of recovery are significantly increased.
The principle of operation of the PanTum Detect analysis is to study macrophages, mobile cells of the human immune system that are capable of absorbing and ‘digesting’ particles foreign to the body, including tumour cells, the press service of the Healthcare Ministry reports. Macrophages leave the bloodstream, move into tissues, absorb specific tumour structures, and migrate back into the peripheral blood. Tumour cells are concentrated in macrophages, which allows them to be studied in detail by flow cytometry and accurately determine threshold values using artificial intelligence programmes.
After receiving the results of the analysis, patients in whom the study showed a reasonable suspicion of a tumour (positive result of the PanTum Detect test) will immediately be sent for a detailed examination to state specialised medical institutions in order to confirm or exclude the diagnosis.

The first stage — on a paid basis

Today, the PanTum Detect test allows one to detect more than 60 types of cancer at different stages. Including zero (precancerous diseases), including pathologies for which there are currently no effective and affordable early screening methods. The annual PanTum Detect analysis provides information on the development of oncological diseases at various stages.
Due to the fact that the programme is still an experiment and has not been launched into mass practice, those wishing to take part in the study will be able to do this on a paid basis. The project development programme provides for several stages of connecting new laboratories to it: Stage 1: May –June 2023 — Vitebsk Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary; Stage 2: June – July 2023 — Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Stage 3: 2024 — the Alexandrov National Cancer Centre.
By the way, Belarus is the second country in the world after Germany, which brought the development of this experiment and the production of tests to the stage of registration and implementation.

By Lyudmila Konopelko