The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is to trial a liquid biopsy test that can identify up to 50 forms of cancer. Set to begin in 2021, the pilot project will assess how accurate and effective liquid biopsy testing is at diagnosing the disease. If successful, liquid biopsy testing could be rolled out across the […]
A US study of 3,000 cancer patients discovered that 13.5% had an inherited genetic mutation that caused their disease. In most cases, these mutations wouldn’t have been detected by clinicians using a standard guideline-based approach, leaving relatives unaware that they could be at an increased risk of developing cancer in the future. The discovery provides […]
Liquid biopsies have the potential to “substantially help to improve diagnosis” of breast cancer in women, a new study has found. Researchers writing in EBioMedicine (published by world-leading publisher The Lancet) found that “the clinical validity of liquid biopsy in the early breast cancer setting is more than evident.” Liquid biopsy techniques involve analysing a […]
Population-based screening for the BRCA genes that cause ovarian and breast cancer could save millions of lives a year, scientists have found. A new study, published in the journal Cancer, found that population-based genetic testing for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes – where every woman over 30, regardless of risk-factor is screened – was […]
Mutations in genes only appear in 20% of women offered genetic testing for breast cancer, a new study by University of Melbourne researchers. Previously scientists believed that mutations in known breast cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 caused cancer, but in a pioneering study, they were only present in 1 in 5 cases. Instead, […]
Patients with advanced cancer were more likely to survive for longer or experience longer periods without disease progression if they received personalised cancer therapy, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found. In a recent trial, three-year survival for cancer patients receiving personalised cancer treatments was 55%, compared to 25% […]
Delays to cancer diagnosis caused by COVID-19 could be responsible for thousands of avoidable deaths in the UK, a new report study published in The Lancet has found. In a ground-breaking new population-based modelling study, a London-based research team has attempted to calculate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer diagnosis and treatment outcomes. […]
Scientists have identified tiny packages of materials released by tumours, called EVPs (extracellular vesicles and particles) that could be a potential biomarker for detecting several types of cancer at an early stage. In a recent study, published in the prestigious Cell journal, a US-based team have identified an exciting new biomarker that could lead to […]
We know that a healthy diet and good nutrition might contribute in reduction of risk of certain cancers. Diets that are high in plant foods – such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and beans – may protect against certain cancers. For example, diets with a high proportion of these fibre-rich foods can protect against bowel cancer. […]
Results of a promising trial in people with brain tumours suggests that a specific blood test could be used for more accurate diagnosis, without the need for invasive procedures. The blood test based on circulating-tumour DNA (ctDNA) has been found to accurately classify different types of brain tumours and could allow for better treatment planning […]
When it comes to treating cancer, there’s good news and bad news. Part of the good news is that there are many effective medicines, known as chemotherapies, that can treat cancer and improve survival. The not so good news is that some cancers that initially respond to chemotherapy can become resistant to treatment. This means […]
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and there were over 2 million new cases in 2018, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. So there is great research interest in understanding more about what determines how likely people with breast cancer are to survive, and to respond to treatment. Researchers at Cleveland […]
