Surgeons and scientists in the UK have developed a blood test for brain cancer that could lead to diagnosis without invasive surgery, speed up treatment and boost survival rates.
Experts said the liquid biopsy would be particularly beneficial for patients with “inaccessible” brain tumours, who could benefit from starting treatment as soon as possible.
Revolutionising brain cancer care
Brain tumours affect hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year, and kill more children and adults under the age of 40 in the UK than any other cancer. Brain cancer has always been hard to diagnose, however, a research team has now designed a simple low-cost blood test that could help diagnose patients with even the deadliest forms of brain cancer much more quickly, potentially sparing them from invasive and high-risk surgical biopsies.
Researchers at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, which is run by Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, have performed the first studies to assess whether the test can accurately diagnose glial tumours including: glioblastoma (GBM), the most commonly-diagnosed type of high-grade brain tumour in adults; astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas. They found the test had “high analytical sensitivity, specificity and precision”, according to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer.
TriNetra-Glio blood test, by Datar Cancer Genetics, works by isolating glial cells that have broken free from the tumour and are found circulating in the blood. The isolated cells are then stained and can be identified under a microscope.
Scientists now hope to conduct larger studies in the UK to validate the results, and if successful, experts estimate that patients could benefit from the new test in as little as two years.
Responses
Dr Nelofer Syed, who leads the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Imperial, said: “A non-invasive, inexpensive method for the early detection of brain tumours is critical for improvements in patient care.
“There is still some way to go, but this solution could help people where a brain biopsy or surgical resection of the tumour is not possible due to the location of the tumour or other constraints. Through this technology, a diagnosis of inaccessible tumours can become possible through a risk-free and patient-friendly blood test. We believe this would be a world first as there are currently no non-invasive or non-radiological tests for these types of tumours.” Dr Syed stated.
Kevin O’Neill, consultant neurosurgeon at Imperial College Healthcare and honorary clinical senior lecturer at Imperial College London, who leads the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence alongside Dr Syed, said: “This test is not just an indicator of disease, it is a truly diagnostic liquid biopsy. It detects intact circulating tumour cells from the blood, which can be analysed to the same cellular detail as an actual tissue sample. It’s a real breakthrough for treatment of brain cancers that rarely spread around the body”.
Brain Tumour Research said that the findings are “significant” as less than 1% of patients with GBM live for more than 10 years and, for many, the prognosis is as little as 12 months. Dan Knowles, chief executive of the charity, said: “This ground-breaking research could lead to earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes for brain tumour patients. The research undertaken in UK universities is world class and something we should all be proud of, but we need so much more”.
Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission
Independent, cross-party, and not-for-profit, as a policy institute Curia turns policy into practice as the UK’s first “do tank”.
Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.