Transcript for Simple blood test could help doctors find cancer: Researchers

possible medical breakthrough. Researchers saying they've developed a ten-minute cancer test. Here's ABC's Steve osunsami. Reporter: If Australian researchers can get this test perfected, a simple blood test can help doctors find a variety of cancers that you now need to see to diagnose, including breast, lung, ovarian and colon cancers. The key is DNA. The scientists found a unique DNA pattern common to all cancers that's released into the blood. And they've discovered that it reacts to, of all things, gold. It's similar to a pool test, for those of you have a pool, I do this all the time. You take the sample, you do a bit of this, and you look for a color change. Reporter: The test takes minutes, and take a look, the vial on the left is a sample that tested positive for cancer. It's still early, currently, this liquid biopsy gives the wrong results 10% of the time. But that 90% gives doctors hope. It can be done in the doctor's office, conceivably. I think there's great promise with the test, but it's not red did for primetime today. Reporter: There have been tests like this before in development that have failed, but there's a belief this one could revolutionize early detection. David? We'll stay on this.

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