Latest news with #InstituteOfCancerResearch
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Exciting' new diagnostic method can detect tiny traces of cancer
Scientists have found a new way to find tiny traces of cancer which could help 'revolutionise' care for patients with a certain form of blood cancer. Giving patients a whole-body MRI scan can detect minuscule amounts of myeloma, also known as minimal residue disease, even when traditional tests showed no signs of cancer, researchers found. Usual tests include blood tests and bone marrow biopsies, CT scans and X rays. Experts said that this scanning technique can provide an important insight into how well patients are responding to treatment and whether they might relapse. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow. The condition is sometimes called multiple myeloma because it affects more than one part of the body. The disease is not considered curable but treatment can control it. Researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, tracked 70 myeloma patients who were having a stem cell transplant. They were all given a whole-body MRI before and after the treatment. Writing in the Blood Cancer Journal, experts said that one in three patients had signs of residual disease on whole-body MRI after treatment – which can be given to patients without the use of radiation. Overall survival was also significantly shorter in those with positive MRI findings. The Royal Marsden has already adopted the the whole-body imagine technique and it could help shape cancer care for patients around the country in the future. One patient under the treatment of the hospital described how the scanning technique 'extended his life' and enabled him to 'continue serving' the country. Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan, chief fire officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2009 while serving in the RAF. He has since relapsed twice, but thanks to whole-body MRI scans, his cancer was detected much earlier than would have been possible with a traditional CT scan. The father of three, 57, said: 'With the constant threat of relapse, myeloma patients are in a long-term mental battle with this insidious disease. 'However, being part of the whole-body MRI scan study at the Royal Marsden allowed my cancer to be closely watched and resulted in me being treated sooner than I would have been under normal protocols. 'This not only extended my life but after diagnosis, I returned to flying jets and to active operational duties. 'I would eventually not be allowed to fly on medical grounds due to myeloma but paved the way to establishing the first training programme of Ukrainian forces in 2015 and I was called upon to run Nato air operations after the invasion of Ukraine. 'This cutting-edge treatment not only extended my life but allowed me to continue serving my country.' Study chief investigator, Professor Christina Messiou, consultant radiologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and professor in imaging for personalised oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, said: 'This study shows that whole-body MRI gives us valuable information about how well the myeloma has responded to treatment that other tests may miss. 'It's exciting that we now have a standardised, non-invasive imaging method that can be used across cancer centres. 'Whole-body MRI doesn't involve radiation or intravenous injections, which is important for patients who may require lifelong monitoring. 'This is an important step towards smarter and kinder precision diagnostics for patients with cancer' Professor Martin Kaiser, consultant haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and professor in molecular haematology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, added: 'Access to this gold-standard precision imaging with whole-body MRI has revolutionised care for myeloma patients. 'As the treatment options for myeloma increase and factors such as disease distribution across the body are increasingly understood as important to treatment response, the relevance of the whole-body MRI for personalising treatment will only increase over time.' Around 6,200 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK and charity Myeloma UK estimates that there are around 33,000 people living with myeloma in the UK.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘Exciting' new diagnostic method can detect tiny traces of cancer
Scientists have found a new way to find tiny traces of cancer which could help 'revolutionise' care for patients with a certain form of blood cancer. Giving patients a whole-body MRI scan can detect minuscule amounts of myeloma, also known as minimal residue disease, even when traditional tests showed no signs of cancer, researchers found. Usual tests include blood tests and bone marrow biopsies, CT scans and X rays. Experts said that this scanning technique can provide an important insight into how well patients are responding to treatment and whether they might relapse. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow. The condition is sometimes called multiple myeloma because it affects more than one part of the body. The disease is not considered curable but treatment can control it. Researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, tracked 70 myeloma patients who were having a stem cell transplant. They were all given a whole-body MRI before and after the treatment. Writing in the Blood Cancer Journal, experts said that one in three patients had signs of residual disease on whole-body MRI after treatment – which can be given to patients without the use of radiation. Overall survival was also significantly shorter in those with positive MRI findings. The Royal Marsden has already adopted the the whole-body imagine technique and it could help shape cancer care for patients around the country in the future. One patient under the treatment of the hospital described how the scanning technique 'extended his life' and enabled him to 'continue serving' the country. Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan, chief fire officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2009 while serving in the RAF. He has since relapsed twice, but thanks to whole-body MRI scans, his cancer was detected much earlier than would have been possible with a traditional CT scan. The father of three, 57, said: 'With the constant threat of relapse, myeloma patients are in a long-term mental battle with this insidious disease. 'However, being part of the whole-body MRI scan study at the Royal Marsden allowed my cancer to be closely watched and resulted in me being treated sooner than I would have been under normal protocols. 'This not only extended my life but after diagnosis, I returned to flying jets and to active operational duties. 'I would eventually not be allowed to fly on medical grounds due to myeloma but paved the way to establishing the first training programme of Ukrainian forces in 2015 and I was called upon to run Nato air operations after the invasion of Ukraine. 'This cutting-edge treatment not only extended my life but allowed me to continue serving my country.' Study chief investigator, Professor Christina Messiou, consultant radiologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and professor in imaging for personalised oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, said: 'This study shows that whole-body MRI gives us valuable information about how well the myeloma has responded to treatment that other tests may miss. 'It's exciting that we now have a standardised, non-invasive imaging method that can be used across cancer centres. 'Whole-body MRI doesn't involve radiation or intravenous injections, which is important for patients who may require lifelong monitoring. 'This is an important step towards smarter and kinder precision diagnostics for patients with cancer' Professor Martin Kaiser, consultant haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and professor in molecular haematology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, added: 'Access to this gold-standard precision imaging with whole-body MRI has revolutionised care for myeloma patients. 'As the treatment options for myeloma increase and factors such as disease distribution across the body are increasingly understood as important to treatment response, the relevance of the whole-body MRI for personalising treatment will only increase over time.' Around 6,200 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK and charity Myeloma UK estimates that there are around 33,000 people living with myeloma in the UK.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The new technique that has ‘transformed' breast cancer treatment
A new, more targeted radiotherapy treatment for low-risk breast cancer has been adopted by the NHS, aiming to reduce debilitating side effects. The Import Low trial, involving over 2,000 women, demonstrated that limiting radiation to the tumour area is as effective as treating the whole breast in preventing cancer recurrence over a decade. Patients undergoing this partial-breast radiotherapy experienced significantly fewer side effects and changes in breast appearance compared to those receiving whole-breast treatment. Researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research and the University of Cambridge led the study, which has "transformed" the approach to early breast cancer treatment. This new method is now integrated into NHS treatment guidelines and informs international practices, with over 9,000 women in the UK potentially benefiting.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Targeted breast cancer treatment 'transformational', say experts
More targeted and less aggressive radiotherapy for low-risk breast cancer could spare thousands of women the harsh side effects of the treatment, a trial has Import Low trial, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the University of Cambridge, found limiting radiation to the tumour area, rather than treating the whole breast, was just as study included 2,018 women across 30 radiotherapy centres in the UK, who were monitored for 10 years after technique, which has since been adopted by the NHS, has "transformed" the way the disease is treated in its early stages, researchers said. More than 37,000 women have radiotherapy for breast cancer in the UK every treatment uses radiation to kill cancer cells and is usually given after surgery to reduce the risk of the disease coming back but has a number of side Import Low trial compared three radiotherapy approaches - whole breast, partial breast and a reduced a decade, cancer recurrence rates in the group given partial radiotherapy was 3%, the same proportion as those who had been treated with a more aggressive who had targeted radiotherapy were also less likely to experience long-term changes in breast 15% reported noticeable changes at five years compared with 27% in the whole-breast radiotherapy group. Hilary Stobart, now 70, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2008, with a 2cm tumour in her left Stobart, who was 54 at the time, was offered the chance to take part in the trial after surgery and was treated with partial radiotherapy."I had three weeks of radiotherapy but suffered no side effects, other than some soreness in my breast and nipple in the first few weeks," she said."Ten years on, I am doing fine. "Whilst I may have had some niggling worries in the early days, having seen the results of the trial, I feel positive and optimistic now. "I know that I was lucky enough back then to have had the best treatment, a treatment that other women will be routinely offered now."Charlotte Coles, chief investigator of the Import Low study, said the trial had "transformed" how early breast cancer is treated."By targeting the area around the tumour, rather than the whole breast, we have demonstrated that patients can achieve the same outstanding long-term outcomes with fewer complications," Prof Coles said."This approach is now widely adopted across the NHS, sparing thousands of women from unnecessary radiation exposure, the professor of breast cancer clinical oncology at the University of Cambridge added. Dr Anna Kirby, consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The long term results of this study confirm that a less aggressive approach, limiting radiotherapy to the tumour rather than the whole breast, is just as effective as traditional whole breast radiotherapy."Patients receiving partial breast radiotherapy experience fewer side effects while maintaining excellent cancer control."It is hoped that more than 9,000 women in the UK could benefit from more targeted treatment. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Less aggressive treatment for low-risk breast cancer ‘just as effective'
More targeted and less aggressive radiotherapy for low-risk breast cancer could spare thousands of women from the harsh side-effects of the treatment, a trial has found. The technique, which has since been adopted by the NHS, has 'transformed' the way the disease is treated in its early stages, researchers said. More than 37,000 women have radiotherapy for breast cancer in the UK every year. The treatment uses radiation to kill cancer cells and is usually given after surgery to reduce the risk of the disease coming back. However, side-effects can include changes in breast size and shape, swelling in the arms or breast, and pain. The Import Low trial, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the University of Cambridge, found limiting radiation to the tumour area, rather than treating the whole breast, was just as effective. The study included 2,018 women across 30 radiotherapy centres in the UK, who were monitored for 10 years after treatment. It compared three radiotherapy approaches; whole-breast, partial-breast and a reduced-dose. After a decade, cancer recurrence rates in the group given partial radiotherapy was 3%, the same proportion as those who had been treated with a more aggressive approach. Patients who had targeted radiotherapy were also less likely to experience long-term changes in breast appearance. Some 15% reported noticeable changes at five years compared with 27% in the whole-breast radiotherapy group. Dr Anna Kirby, consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and reader in breast cancer radiotherapy at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: 'The long-term results of this study confirm that a less aggressive approach, limiting radiotherapy to the tumour rather than the whole breast, is just as effective as traditional whole-breast radiotherapy. 'Patients receiving partial-breast radiotherapy experience fewer side-effects while maintaining excellent cancer control.' Charlotte Coles, a professor of breast cancer clinical oncology at the University of Cambridge, honorary clinical oncology consultant at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and chief investigator of the Import Low study, said the trial has 'transformed' how early breast cancer is treated. Following the study, which is published in the Lancet Oncology, partial-breast radiotherapy has been integrated into NHS treatment guidelines. It is hoped that more than 9,000 women in the UK could benefit from more targeted treatment. 'By targeting the area around the tumour, rather than the whole breast, we have demonstrated that patients can achieve the same outstanding long-term outcomes with fewer complications,' Prof Coles said. 'This approach is now widely adopted across the NHS, sparing thousands of women from unnecessary radiation exposure. 'The results of this study have not only shaped UK clinical practice but also informed international guidelines, ensuring that women worldwide benefit from this personalised, evidence-based treatment.' Hilary Stobart, now 70, was diagnosed with ER-positive breast cancer in December 2008, with a 2cm tumour in her left breast. Ms Stobart, who was 54 at the time, was offered the chance to take part in the trial after surgery and was treated with partial radiotherapy. 'I had three weeks of radiotherapy, but suffered no side-effects, other than some soreness in my breast and nipple in the first few weeks,' she said. 'Ten years on, I am doing fine. I have no side-effects and no recurrence of disease. 'For me personally, I am very thankful to have received the lowest dose of radiotherapy. 'Whilst I may have had some niggling worries in the early days, having seen the results of the trial, I feel positive and optimistic now. I know that I was lucky enough back then to have had the best treatment, a treatment that other women will be routinely offered now.' Dr Fay Cafferty, lead statistician at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, added that the findings are 'crucial in reinforcing the long-term safety and effectiveness of partial-breast radiotherapy'. 'Long-term data is vital to ensure we know there's no greater risk of breast cancer returning after this targeted radiotherapy treatment,' she said. 'This latest analysis confirms that partial breast radiotherapy remains a safe and effective treatment option, supporting its continued adoption as the standard of care in the UK and globally.'
