Cancer is a diagnosis that sends chills down anyone’s spine. While we’re rightfully focused on treatment breakthroughs and remission statistics, too often the conversation overlooks the pivotal role of early detection—and the science that’s finally making truly preventative screening possible for everyone. In this post, we’ll unpack the insights from a recent episode of the Menopause Mastery Podcast, featuring Dr. Betty Murray and cancer diagnostic expert Sumit. We’ll cover the hidden reasons cancer rates are on the rise, why current diagnostics fall short, and how innovative technologies might finally shift us from reaction to real prevention.
The Hidden Roots of Rising Cancer Rates
It’s easy to think of cancer as a random accident, but the reality is far more complex—and sobering. According to Sumit, whose journey into cancer research and advocacy began after the tragic loss of his sister, cancer is becoming more common for reasons beyond just bad luck or genetics.
Lifestyle & Environment—An Expanding “Bucket”
Today’s sedentary lifestyles, frequent eating, and relentless exposure to processed foods and chemicals all contribute to a growing “toxic load.” Dr. Betty puts it best: “It’s like you have a bucket… with 50 faucets dripping into that bucket. Eventually, it’s going to overwhelm the system.” From highly-processed foods with thousands of additives (in the U.S. alone, over 10,000 compared to just 600 in Europe), to toxic substances like benzene leaching out of everyday acne treatments and household products, we’re surrounded by small threats that collectively add up.
And it’s not just adults at risk. Teenagers using certain acne products are exposed to known carcinogens exactly when their bodies are surging with growth hormones, a dangerous combination for DNA and cellular health.
Growing Older, Increasing Risk
We’re also living longer than ever. While this is an incredible achievement, it means our bodies undergo more rounds of cellular replication—and with more replications comes more chance of a “copy error.” As Sumit explains, “As living biological organisms, we constantly have cellular turnover… the longer you live, the more likely it is there can be an error.” When those errors slip past our immune defenses, cancer begins.
Why Current Cancer Diagnostics Aren’t Enough
Most of us think mammograms, colonoscopies, and annual exams are enough—but the truth is, our current system is set up to find cancer only after it’s already well-established.
Identification, Not Prevention
Modern diagnostics wait for tumors to become visible, often via imaging, before disease is even labeled as cancer. As Dr. Betty explains, “Most of our treatment standards… is really identification, right? It’s not really prevention. It’s identification.”
Many solid tumors (think pancreas, ovary, or esophagus) aren’t screened for at all—meaning they’re typically caught only after symptoms appear, often at late, less-treatable stages. “Pancreatic cancer isn’t a death sentence… Stage 1 pancreatic cancer is curable. You just never find it,” says Sumit.
The Weaknesses of Standard Cancer Screens
The vast majority of cancer deaths result from cancers we don’t routinely screen for, like uterine, gastric, kidney, and brain cancers. Current blood-based biomarker tests often detect only increased risk (like BRCA mutations)—not cancer itself. And advanced genetic sequencing tests looking for cell-free tumor DNA (like Grail’s Galleri) suffer sky-high false positive rates and very low sensitivity for early-stage disease, sometimes missing 85-100% of cases before late-stage progression!
The Promise (and Science) of Circulating Tumor Cell Testing
A game-changing approach is now emerging: detecting cancer before it’s visible, by finding circulating tumor cells (CTCs)—actual intact cancer cells shed into the bloodstream as soon as the first tumor takes root.
What are Circulating Tumor Cells?
When tumors form, they shed cells into the bloodstream. These circulating tumor cells are the engines of metastasis, responsible for 90% of cancer deaths. According to Sumit, “You fundamentally can’t really go from stage 0 to stage 1 without shedding CTCs.” Detecting these cells early could mean identifying cancer years before a tumor is visible on a scan.
Extracting and Detecting CTCs—A Diagnostic Breakthrough
Until recently, extracting enough of these rare cells for clinical use required massive amounts of blood or tissue and special (often risky) procedures. Cancer Check Labs, the company Sumit leads, has developed technology to filter CTCs from a simple blood sample. CTCs are contained whole and can be analyzed just like a tissue biopsy, allowing for “broad spectrum pan-cancer screening.”
What makes this so different? Rather than searching for incomplete, degraded “scraps” of tumor DNA, which results in guessing and high false positives, this method isolates entire cells that a pathologist can visually confirm as cancerous. The result: much higher accuracy (specificity) and a lower risk of causing unnecessary fear or treatment.
The Future: Filtration as a Form of Prevention
But detection is just the start. Sumit’s team is working on “plasmapheresis” technology capable of mechanically filtering all CTCs out of a person’s blood in under an hour—potentially halting metastasis before it starts, or increasing quality of life for late-stage patients. It’s a future where treatment isn’t just cut, burn, or poison—it’s cleanse, analyze, and proactively intervene.
Practical Steps: How You Can Be Proactive
If you’re concerned about cancer risk—especially if you have a family history, past exposures, or other risk factors—proactive screening for circulating tumor cells could be life-changing. Unlike traditional tests, which look for disease only once there’s something to “see,” CTC-based tests look for cancer cells at the earliest possible stage, when survival rates are highest.
- Commit to Early Screening: Consider integrating CTC tests at regular intervals, especially if you’re over 40, have genetic risk, or have been exposed to occupational hazards (like firefighting).
- Invest in what matters: While not yet covered by insurance, prioritizing these tests may be more valuable than fad wellness panels or less-specific screens.
- If detected, act fast but smart: If CTCs are found, further analysis can help determine the best course of action—and may even help match you with the treatment most likely to work.
The Bottom Line: Catch Cancer Before It Can Grow
Early detection, especially through circulating tumor cell blood tests, has the potential to fundamentally change cancer outcomes—shifting us from a position of fear and reaction to one of science-backed prevention and hope. As Dr. Betty Murray summarizes, “You want to catch it before you can see it. That’s the answer behind cancer.”
Your health journey is unique—but with the right tools and a proactive mindset, you can stack the odds in your favor. Don’t wait for symptoms. Start prioritizing true prevention, and give yourself (and your loved ones) the gift of early knowledge and action.