Scientists are developing a simple blood test to detect brain tumors in a government-funded project that could help hundreds of UK patients a year detect recurrent cases of cancer much more quickly.
In about a year, they plan to begin clinical trials of a test that patients can use at home. They are confident that in the best case scenario the NHS will be able to access it within five years, but warn that this could take longer or not happen at all.
The test targets aggressive, recurrent tumors, which currently cause nearly 200,000 deaths a year worldwide, the researchers said.
Around 2,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most malignant form of brain cancer, each year, and around 90 per cent suffer a recurrence, according to the NHS. This means hundreds of people each year could benefit from earlier detection of tumor recurrence at a crucial time in the cancer’s development.
Although brain tumors very often recur after initial treatment, the unpredictability of their timing makes early detection difficult, leading to a poor prognosis.
Researchers hope that recurrent tumors could be detected much more quickly if fingerprint tests were carried out regularly at home, similar to the antibody tests used to detect Covid.
Researchers say the new test could significantly improve the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world, including many in the UK.
It could also significantly ease the burden on healthcare systems by reducing the need for MRI scans and providing a cost-effective alternative to some clinic visits.
The team from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is leading the work, funded by the Medical Research Council, and working with researchers from the University of Sheffield.
“Unfortunately, recurrence of brain tumors is a serious problem and some of them return very quickly and aggressively,” said Professor Philip Wilson from Nottingham Trent University.
“If you do an MRI six months after treatment, the tumor may have long since returned.
“This technology will allow patients to perform regular, affordable disease monitoring at home in a user-friendly manner. We hope this work can be applied to other types of cancer and potentially save millions of lives around the world,” he said.
Researchers are focusing on developing tests that can detect tumor-specific molecules in the blood, which could provide very early signs that the tumor is returning.
The project will work on prototypes before the research moves into clinical trials.
Ola Romini from the University of Sheffield, who is also involved in the project, said: “Aggressive brain tumors such as glioblastoma almost always recur after treatment, but detecting this recurrence at the earliest possible stage remains a challenge and a key research priority.” Research,” the patients emphasized.
“Currently, patients often undergo follow-up MRI scans every three to six months, but the successful development of a lateral flow test to detect brain tumors could make it possible to effectively screen for recurrences every week, allowing more recurrent tumors to be identified. noticed early. at a more treatable stage.”
Current tests for brain tumors are expensive, invasive, and cannot be performed routinely. These include MRI, CT and PET-CT, as well as a biopsy to examine a sample of tumor cells in the brain.
The development of the blood tests is funded by the Medical Research Council, the government body responsible for coordinating and funding medical research in the UK.
Source: I News
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