Key points
- Test may enable doctors to prescribe personalised treatments more swiftly
- It is likely that 15,000 patients will benefit from the rollout each year
- Test will analyse tumour DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream
ISLAMABAD: National Health Service (NHS) England is set to introduce a pioneering liquid biopsy blood test, offering new hope to lung and breast cancer patients.
The Independent reported that the innovative test, a world-first, will analyse tumour DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream, enabling doctors to prescribe personalised treatments more swiftly.
It is likely that 15,000 patients will benefit from the rollout each year.
Cancer patients
The test will initially be used for lung cancer patients, but officials have confirmed that it will also be used for breast cancer patients to detect a wider range of genetic variants to see if they are eligible for targeted treatment, according to the Independent.
After a pilot which involved 10,000 people with non-small cell lung cancer (the most common type), the test is being expanded, with hopes that could be used for other types of cancer in the future.
The paper added that lung cancer is most commonly diagnosed with a chest CT scan, and early diagnosis is crucial.
In most cases it won’t be cancer, but if it is, catching it at an early stage can make a real difference.
