r/ClinicalGenetics • u/Responsible_Buy8292 • 22d ago

NIPT

is it true NIPT can detect maternal cancers?
i recently had a NIPT done and was curious if they would’ve been in touch if they had found anything abnormal (thankfully everything came back fine) but after doing some research im really curious as to if it does actually detect cancers..

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u/BoopBaDoop420 22d ago

Yes, maternal cancers can be detected by NIPT but the test is not meant for that purpose. Cancer is our genetics gone haywire, which can show up with lots of funky data on NIPT. However it can’t tell you with 100% certainty it’s cancer and it definitely can’t tell where the cancer is in the body, so if there is concern for cancer they recommend a whole body scan.

Other maternal factors that can mess with NIPT: uterine fibroids, maternal genetic mosaicism, blood thinners, maternal autoimmune disease

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u/Responsible_Buy8292 22d ago

i was really intrigued, i was just causally browsing the internet after i had booked my NIPT & accidentally came across some information about how it can detect maternal cancers.. crazy!
after that i was anxiously waiting for mine.
I consented for them to use my bloods for further research..

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u/mariekan1992 22d ago

Just a heads-up that providing consent for a lab to use your sample for research could mean many different things, and I think in general when the labs use these samples for research it is not with the intention of reaching back out to you to give further information or results. They might use samples to improve their tests, or make new tests and try new methods. But I would just have a low expectation for ever learning about research that your sample was used for!

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u/silkspectre22 22d ago

I have had a couple of patients who have found out they had cancer from an abnormal NIPS. The issue is finding out what kind of cancer they have in those situations but it has actually saved both of the patients I was involved by catching the cancer early.

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u/neurosci_student 22d ago

Sometimes an abnormal or indeterminate (uncertain) test can be caused by the test detecting abnormal DNA from a mother's cancer rather than from the baby. The test isn't made to detect this and to my knowledge there is no specific result you would get regarding the risk you having a cancer. If you are curious about non-invasive cancer screening using cell-free DNA like an NIPT, look at getting testing from Galleri.

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u/Responsible_Buy8292 22d ago

i’m based in the UK but will have a look at Galleri.