A blood test that can detect lung cancer is being rolled out across the NHS to speed up access to treatment, NHS England has said.
The ‘liquid biopsy’ test, which can detect tiny fragments of tumour DNA in the blood, will be available for up to 15,000 patients per year, following a pilot of the test.
NHS England said it would help to fast-track lung cancer patients to receive targeted therapy up to two weeks earlier, helping some avoid further tests and treatment including chemotherapy.
A health economic assessment of the pilot also estimated the test could save the NHS up to £11m per year in lung cancer care. The NHS is looking at its use in other cancers including pancreatic and gallbladder cancer.
Blood testing in advanced breast cancer will also be expanded, including screening for several genetic variations in around 5,000 women per year, NHS England added.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: ‘Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care and it’s fantastic that 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 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. We are already seeing the difference this test can make in lung and breast cancer – and we hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.
‘As research progresses, it’s exciting that this approach has the potential to help us ‘scan’ the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.’
Health secretary Wes Streeting added: ‘This incredibly exciting new test could save countless lives, giving thousands of people peace of mind. It is just the latest example of this government combining the compassionate care of our National Health Service with the ingenuity of Britain’s leading scientific minds to revolutionise cancer care.
‘Thanks to this government’s investment and modernisation, we have already delivered faster diagnoses for tens of thousands of suspected cancer patients, and there’s much more to come.’
Last month it was revealed that a new injectable form of immunotherapy for 15 types of cancers was to be rolled out from May.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also being used within cancer care, including an AI-driven 3D heart scan and a skin cancer triage tool.
Last week it was revealed that new radiotherapy machines would be rolled out at 28 hospitals across England.
