New genetic tests may change cancer treatment

A combination of genetic tests for a “very complex” blood cancer could accurately predict if the disease is likely to return within 18 months of treatment, astudy has found.

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This method picks up “hidden risks” traditional tests may miss, potentially benefiting thousands in the UK with multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma occurs when the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells, known as plasma cells, causing symptoms such as bone pain, headaches and muscle weakness, according to The Independent.

It affects around 33,000 people in the UK, with about 6,300 new cases every year. The disease is considered incurable; while treatments achieve remission, many patients relapse, usually within 18 months.

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) suggest offering traditional DNA tests alongside new RNA gene expression tests could detect patients at risk of early relapse.

DNA profiling is currently being used in specialist cancer centres and clinical trials. It looks for genetic mutations in myeloma cells, which can determine how aggressive the disease is.

Meanwhile, the newer gene expression tests check how active certain genes are in cancer cells by measuring RNA, a type of molecule that carries instructions from DNA to make proteins. Both tests are usually done using bone marrow samples.