‘Revolutionary test’ that detects cancer up to a YEAR before it shows on scans to be rolled out on NHS in world first
SUPER sensitive cancer blood tests will be rolled out to NHS patients in a world first.
People diagnosed with breast or lung cancers will be tested for circulating tumour DNA, known as ctDNA, to find fragments of disease in their blood.
Results will give doctors a quick read on their cancer type, speeding up access to specialised treatment with higher chances of success.
Clinics typically have to wait for the results of scans and surgical biopsies to be sure what they are seeing.
New “liquid biopsies” could also one day be used to stop cancer spreading, predict the risk of it coming back and guide treatment changes.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s director for cancer, said: “Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care.
“We are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country.
“It has the potential to help us scan the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.
“We hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.”
ctDNA tests will be offered to patients with advanced breast cancer that is not responding to treatment, and people with suspected non-small cell lung cancer.
Following successful pilots, England is the first country to begin a mass rollout and will test thousands of Brits every year.
It is hoped many will be spared from unnecessary tests, surgery or chemotherapy.
Dr Isaac Garcia-Murillas, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “The potential for patient benefit and cost savings to the NHS is incredible.
“The main point is it’s non-invasive so there is no need for tumour biopsies, which can be painful.
“And often by the time you have tested a tumour by imaging it has already grown.
“If you pick it up earlier you can intervene earlier and smaller tumours might respond better to drugs.
“This test allows you to see cancer cells that are undetectable on others.”
The NHS blood testing could see lung cancer patients get the best treatment weeks earlier, compared to waiting for scans and biopsy results.
Women with hard-to-treat breast cancer will have tumour DNA analysed to work out the best targeted approach.
Research by Dr Garcia-Murillas last year found the blood tests can detect signs of cancer growing back up to a year before it shows on a scan.
Doctors hope the blood testing will become so accurate and simple that it can be used to monitor tumours in near real time.
Dr Julie Gralow, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said: “This is a cool way of not having to stick needles into wherever the cancer is to test it, but just drawing blood.
“It’s live monitoring at a level that is actually much more specific and early than waiting for it to show up on scans.”
Cancer tests currently available in the UK
In the UK, several cancer screening programs and diagnostic tests are available, including blood tests, imaging scans, and biopsies.
Screening programs for breast, cervical, and bowel cancers are offered to specific age groups, while other tests, like those for lung cancer and prostate cancer, are available through a doctor’s referral or self-referral.
Breast screening
Offered to women aged 50 to 70, with self-referral for women over 70, using mammograms to detect early signs of breast cancer.
Bowel screening
Home test kits are sent to individuals aged 50 to 74 every two years, with the option for those over 75 to self-refer.
Cervical screening
Offered to women, some transgender men, and some non-binary people aged 25 to 64, using Pap tests and HPV tests to detect changes in the cervix.
Prostate cancer screening
There is no national screening program for prostate cancer in the UK due to the unreliability of the PSA test.