Liquid biopsies could speed up lung cancer treatment

A new blood test could dramatically speed up lung cancer treatment and remove the need for patients to have uncomfortable tissue biopsies under general anaesthetic.

A clinical study will determine whether survival rates can be improved.

Dr Magda Meissner, medical oncologist and liquid biopsy lead for the All-Wales Medical Genomics Service in Cardiff, said “Currently patients go through a procedure which can be very invasive and can be risky.”

In a tissue biopsy, DNA is extracted from tissue removed from the site of the tumour in the lung, which can involve a patient being sedated and may take several attempts.  However, the liquid biopsy will simply take DNA from a patient’s routine blood tests.

Dr Meissner went on to say “We extract the DNA from the blood sample, our machine can then sequence the DNA and provide us with a read-out of 500 genes.

“We then analyse those, generate data and decide what mutation has been identified and decide on patient treatment.

“Patients in Wales are diagnosed at an advanced stage, often with poor outcomes.  It’s very important to shorten the time.  This is an opportunity for them to potentially receive that life-saving treatment.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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