"Scientists have developed a simple DNA blood test that can predict how well patients with breast cancer will respond to treatment. More than 2 million people globally each year are diagnosed with the disease, which is the world's most prevalent cancer. Although treatments have improved in recent decades, it is not easy to know which ones will work best for which patients."
"Dr Iseult Browne, a clinical research fellow at the ICR and first author of a study detailing the test, said: Our study shows that a simple blood test measuring circulating tumour DNA can provide an early prediction of whether a patients' breast cancer will respond to treatment. Knowing this at the earliest stage in this case, at the start of treatment, or after just four weeks means that we can avoid giving patients drugs that won't work and provide them with alternatives before their cancer has a chance to grow. For example, they could be given an alternative targeted therapy, a combination of drugs, or even enrolled into a clinical trial to test a novel drug."
A liquid biopsy analysing circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in blood can predict whether breast cancer will respond to treatment. Microscopic levels of cancer DNA were measured in blood samples from 167 patients at baseline and again four weeks after a single treatment cycle. Low ctDNA at the start of treatment and similarly low levels at four weeks showed a strong association with treatment response. Early prediction of response allows clinicians to avoid ineffective drugs and offer alternatives such as targeted therapies, combination regimens, or clinical-trial options. The test was developed at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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