Prime Highlights
- A new blood test can help doctors predict which breast cancer treatment is most likely to work for each patient before or early into treatment.
- The test may help patients avoid ineffective therapies and move sooner to better treatment options, improving outcomes and quality of life.
Key Facts
- Researchers analysed blood samples from 167 patients with advanced breast cancer, testing levels of circulating tumour DNA before treatment and after four weeks.
- Patients with lower or undetectable cancer DNA levels showed better treatment response and longer periods without disease progression.
Background:
Scientists have created a simple blood test that can help doctors understand which breast cancer treatments are more likely to work for a patient. This could improve treatment results and help patients avoid medicines that may not be effective.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, with more than two million new cases each year. Although treatments have advanced over time, doctors still find it difficult to decide which therapy will work best for each individual patient. This new research offers a promising step toward more personalised cancer care.
The test, created by researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, analyses tiny fragments of cancer DNA, known as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), found in a patient’s blood. Cancer cells shed small amounts of DNA into the blood, which allows doctors to track the disease using a simple blood test instead of more invasive procedures.
For the study, researchers analysed blood samples from 167 patients with advanced breast cancer. The samples were collected before treatment started and again after four weeks. The findings showed a clear connection between ctDNA levels and how well patients responded to treatment.
Patients who had lower ctDNA levels before treatment were more likely to respond well. In one group, including patients with triple-negative breast cancer, those with lower ctDNA levels stayed cancer-free for longer and had better response rates than those with higher ctDNA levels.
Researchers say the test can help doctors make faster and better treatment decisions. If a treatment is unlikely to work, patients can be moved early to other options, such as different medicines, combined treatments, or clinical trials, before the cancer worsens.
Experts believe this approach could lead to faster and more personalised care, helping improve patients’ quality of life. Although the study looked at advanced breast cancer, researchers say the test may also be useful for patients in the early stages of the disease.
More studies are now underway to see whether changing treatment based on early blood test results can improve long-term outcomes, bringing fresh hope for better breast cancer care.
