Opinion · Live Wire
A clinical scientist has described how a rapid new test used by the NHS could "revolutionise brain tumour diagnosis". In a partnership with Newcastle University, Newcastle Hospitals is one of five specialist centres in England to roll out the pilot test used to diagnose which type of tumour a patient has. It should mean patients can start treatment including radiotherapy and chemotherapy sooner, and are spared weeks of uncertainty.
Clinical scientist Angharad Goodman said the test could give the information needed within days, while Prof Simon Bailey, consultant paediatric oncologist, said it would "allow clarity for children and their families much sooner". There are about 150 different types of brain tumour ranging from slow-growing to aggressive cancers, each of which can respond differently to treatment. More than 12,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year.
It is the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40. Currently, tumour samples are sent to specialist laboratories for detailed analysis which, although highly accurate, can take several weeks before the exact type of tumour is confirmed, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said. NHS England said that the genomic test, which works by quickly analysing the genetic code of a sample of the tumour, is part of a two-year project funded by NHS England will explore whether this rapid test is suitable for wider NHS use.
Bailey, who is consultant paediatric oncologist at the Great North Children's Hospital, said the test would "significantly improve our ability to make a rapid and accurate diagnosis". This, in turn, he said, would result in "faster treatment planning so that children can start the most effective treatment as soon as possible". "It will also allow clarity for children and their families much sooner so they can plan their lives," he said.
The project's lead, clinical scientist Angharad Goodman, said it was "really exciting" adding "the test could revolutionise brain tumour diagnosis". "This new single test could give us all the information that we require for brain tumour diagnosis within days," she continued. Goodman added: "The aspiration is to have a provisional result while the patient is still in surgery, which would be amazing, and would build on the work already demonstrated through the national pilot programme."
Source: BBC
