One of the most advanced methods of early cancer diagnosis in Israel
Oncologists at the leading Israeli clinic Top Ihilov have successfully used biomarkers for the early detection of various types of cancer for many years. In the daily practice of Top Ihilov doctors, the latest developments in global medicine in this field are utilized.
Top Ihilov clinic conducts tests for the detection of more than 20 biomarkers. The clinic ranks among the top in Israel for early cancer detection statistics.
What are biomarkers?
Biomarkers, which in the context of cancer detection are often referred to as "tumour markers" – are specific substances produced by cancer cells themselves or other cells in the body that respond to the presence of cancer.
Biomarkers can be detected through:
- blood tests
- saliva tests
- urine tests.
The analysis is sent to the laboratory and subjected to various tests.
Main types of biomarker tests
| Biomarker / test name | Type of cancer | Type of analysis | Purpose of detection |
| ALK (Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase) | Non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma | Tumour tissue study | Determining treatment method, treatment prognosis |
| Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) | Liver cancer, gonadal tumours | Blood test | Assessing cancer stage, prognosis, and treatment response |
| Beta-2 microglobulin | Multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, various types of lymphomas | Blood test, urine test, cerebrospinal fluid study | Determining prognosis and treatment response |
| Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) | Choriocarcinoma, testicular cancer | Blood test, urine test | Assessing cancer stage, prognosis, treatment response |
| Hybrid protein BCR-ABL | Chronic myeloid leukaemia | Blood test, bone marrow study | Confirming diagnosis, studying dynamics |
| V600E mutation of the BRAF gene | Melanoma, colorectal cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing treatment response |
| CA15-3/CA27.29 | Breast cancer | Blood test | Assessing treatment response and recurrence potential |
| CA19-9 | Pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, stomach cancer | Blood test | Assessing treatment response |
| CA-125 | Ovarian cancer | Blood test | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| CD20 | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Blood test | Assessing need for targeted therapy |
| Calcitonin hormone | Medullary thyroid cancer | Blood test | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) | Colorectal cancer, breast cancer | Blood test | Assessing spread of colorectal cancer, treatment response, and breast cancer recurrence potential |
| Chromogranin (CGA) | Neuroendocrine cancer | Blood test | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Chromosomes 3, 7, 17 and 9p2 | Bladder cancer | Urethral sample | Assessing recurrence potential |
| Fibrin / fibrinogen | Bladder cancer | Urethral sample | Assessing treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Cytokeratin fragments 21-1 | Lung cancer | Blood test | Assessing recurrence potential |
| EGFR mutation | Non-small cell lung cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing treatment method and prognosis |
| Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) | Breast cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing need for hormone therapy |
| HE4 | Ovarian cancer | Blood test | Assessing treatment response, recurrence potential |
| HER2/neu | Breast cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing need for hormone therapy |
| Immunoglobulins | Multiple myeloma, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia | Blood test, urethral sample | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| KIT | Gastrointestinal stromal tumours, melanomas | Tumour tissue study | Assessing diagnostic accuracy and choosing treatment method |
| KRAS mutations | Colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing need for targeted therapy |
| Lactate dehydrogenase | Gonadal cancer | Blood test | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) | Bladder cancer | Urethral sample | Assessing treatment response |
| Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) | Prostate cancer | Blood test | Assessing diagnostic accuracy, treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Thyroglobulin | Thyroid cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing treatment response, recurrence potential |
| Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) | Breast cancer | Tumour tissue study | Treatment planning, assessing cancer aggressiveness |
| 5-Protein signature (Ova1) | Ovarian cancer | Blood test | Refining diagnosis, treatment planning |
| Oncotype DX | Breast cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing recurrence potential |
| Mammaprint | Breast cancer | Tumour tissue study | Assessing recurrence potential |
The latest biomarker test
Breast cancer is the most common oncological disease among women. And like any oncological disease, breast cancer treatment is most effective when the disease is detected early. This is the issue that the subsidiary of Micromedic Technologies, based in Ramat Gan, has focused on. This Israeli-American biotech company has developed the latest research complex that allows for the most effective detection of breast cancer at the earliest stages. This research kit is based on biomarkers – substances capable of detecting abnormal genes or proteins in the human body that indicate the early stages of breast cancer development.
To date, clinical studies have already been conducted proving that the new research kit is at an almost ideal level of "sensitivity" - the ability to detect breast cancer. After successful studies in Israel, the biotech company has submitted a request for clinical trials to the US Food and Drug Administration.
In addition to the expected clinical trials in the USA, the Israeli company also plans to start trials in Europe. Furthermore, it is likely that soon, in collaboration with the Clalit Health Services, clinical trials of new biomarkers for the early detection of colorectal cancer will also begin. The first trials will involve 200 tissue samples taken from volunteers from two Israeli medical centers.
- Treatment of kidney cancer
- Treatment of urethral cancer
- Pericardial mesothelioma
- Melanoma
- Throat cancer
- Breast cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Skin cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Parathyroid cancer
- Liver cancer