NHS ROLLS OUT WORLD-FIRST CANCER TEST

Breakthrough means patients get targeted treatment faster

- By Hanna Geissler

A "REVOLUTIONARY" blood test for cancer is being rolled out on the NHS in a world first that will mean patients receive personalised treatment sooner.

The new "liquid biopsy" searches for tiny fragments of DNA that are shed by tumours into the bloodstream.

It can deliver a diagnosis up to two weeks earlier than usual tissue biopsy methods, allowing doctors to select the right targeted therapy sooner, sparing thousands of patients unnecessary procedures and treatment.

NHS national clinical director for cancer Professor Peter Johnson hailed a "new era of personalised cancer care" as he announced the imminent rollout on the eve of the world's largest cancer conference in Chicago.

He said liquid biopsies could eventually be harnessed to "scan the body" and spot developing cancer with a single blood sample.

Prof Johnson added: "It's fantastic we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country.

"Cutting-edge genomic testing is helping us to deliver more targeted and kinder care for patients, enabling some to avoid more intensive treatments such as further chemotherapy, which can have a huge impact." After successful pilots, the test will be rolled out to all hospitals in England for up to 15,000 patients with suspected non-small cell lung cancer each year.

They will be offered the test in hospitals after being referred by their GP or specialist consultant and if a CT scan shows suspected lung cancer.

Until now, tissue biopsies have been used to confirm a diagnosis and samples could then be sent for genomic testing.

The new approach will see the NHS become the first health system in the world to establish a "blood test first" approach, with tissue biopsies following later.