Blood test could change way cancer is diagnosed

A new blood test identifying cancer-specific gene mutations in DNA could be a "game-changer" in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, researchers claim.

Researchers from the Royal Brompton Hospital and the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) at Imperial College London hope that it might one day be available in GP surgeries to provide a diagnosis within days and the chance of earlier treatment.

Consultant thoracic surgeon Eric Lim led a study on blood tests from 223 patients where researchers were not told whether patients, who were all pre-surgery for known or suspected lung cancer, had already received a definitive diagnosis.

DNA was extracted from the plasma of the blood and analysed to identify three common gene mutations.

Using the test, researchers were able to correctly identify cancer-specific gene mutations in the DNA of nearly seven out of ten patients who were later confirmed to have cancer.

These cancer-specific gene mutations are not usually found in the blood of healthy individuals.

The new blood test, which researchers estimate would cost the NHS a few hundred pounds, could be a less invasive but still accurate method for a large number of patients with suspected cancer.