Study suggests simple blood test could spare brain cancer patients risky surgery

30 Jan 2024
www.pmlive.com
Breakthrough Therapy
Study suggests simple blood test could spare brain cancer patients risky surgery
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Source: PMLiVE
Researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) have suggested that a simple blood test could help diagnose patients with suspected high-grade gliomas and spare them from undergoing invasive, highly-risk brain surgery.
Brain tumours are responsible for more deaths in children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, involved brain cancer patients from ICL and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
The TriNetra-Glio blood test works to isolate tumour cells that have broken free from the circulating tumour in the blood. The isolated cells are then stained and identified under a microscope.
The simple test could lead to earlier diagnosis, faster treatment and improved outcomes for patients with suspected high-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma (GBM), astrocytoma and oligodendrogliomas.
Responsible for more than 300,000 new cases worldwide every year, GBM is a form of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord and quickly grows, invading and destroying healthy tissues.
Furthermore, it could replace the need for surgical biopsies, which carry significant risks, particularly for those with underlying health issues.
Funded by Datar Cancer GeneticsCancer Genetics, the test was previously granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration in January 2023 for blood testing for inaccessible brain tumours.
Dr Nelofer Syed, department of brain sciences, ICL and leader of the Brain Tumour Research Centre, commented: “Through this technology, a diagnosis of inaccessible tumours can become possible through a risk-free and patient-friendly blood test.”
"This could help speed up diagnosis, enabling surgeons to apply tailored treatments based on that biopsy to increase patients’ chances of survival,” said Kevin O’Neill, consultant neurosurgeon, Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust and honorary clinical senior lecturer, department of brain sciences, ICL.
Syed added: “We believe this would be a world-first as there are currently no non-invasive or non-radiological tests for these types of tumours.”
Researchers now hope to conduct a larger study in the UK. If successful, patients living with suspected high-grade tumours could benefit from this work within two years.
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