Test could be available in next three years
A breakthrough test that could allow doctors to see if cancerous tumours are responding to therapy is being developed and could be available in less than three years.
The blood test, developed at Cambridge University, will give medics an indication, before scans, as to whether a tumour is responding to a certain therapy thus allowing them to try and offer alternative treatmentDr Sarah-Jane Dawson, based at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said: ‘Hopefully this tailored approach will translate into better survival rates or in the case of those with metastatic cancer, extend their lives for as long as possible.’
The new test will allow for a more personal treatment for patients, enabling a much quicker modification of treatment as an individual’s cancer changes.
Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, Professor Peter Johnson, added that this system ‘suggests an exciting way to quickly get hold of the personal details of a cancer, to target it for the most effective therapy.’
This is an incredible advancement in cancer research as 49,564 women and 397 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, with over a fifth those resulting in death.
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