Latest news with #cancertreatment
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Liquid biopsies' alert advanced breast cancer patients when new drugs are needed
New research suggests that blood tests known as 'liquid biopsies' can improve the treatment of some people with metastatic breast cancer and help their tumors remain under control for more than a year. For many, it's been a long time coming: More than a decade ago, researchers and investors predicted that liquid biopsies — which are sensitive enough to detect tumor cells and DNA in the blood — would be 'game changers' in the realm of cancer. Although liquid biopsies haven't replaced standard cancer screening methods like mammograms and colonoscopies, the new study and others like it demonstrate that the blood tests can help doctors monitor cancer and help them select treatments most likely to work. Liquid biopsies are so sophisticated that they can detect minuscule bits of DNA that have leaked out of tumor cells and are floating freely in the blood. The most sensitive liquid biopsies, like those used in the new study, go one step further, detecting ominous changes in key proteins in cancer cells. The research — published Sunday in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago — focused on people whose breast cancers are fueled by estrogen. The most effective treatment for this type of advanced disease includes drugs designed to target specific proteins in breast cancer cells. If those proteins mutate, the drugs stop working, and it's only a matter of time before the cancer begins growing again. By detecting these mutations, liquid biopsies serve as an early warning system that people need a different medication, said Dr. Nicholas Turner, study co-author and a professor of molecular oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden hospital in the United Kingdom. In the new study, people who changed their treatment based on liquid biopsy results were twice as likely to have their tumors controlled than study participants who didn't change therapy. Turner said the approach offers a significant improvement compared with current practice. Currently, doctors look for signs that a cancer treatment is no longer working by performing imaging tests, such as CT scans or PET scans, every three months. These scans allow doctors to see if tumors are getting bigger. The study found that liquid biopsies can detect mutations up to nine months before the changes would have become apparent on scans, Turner said. That gives people the opportunity to abandon ineffective treatments as early as possible and switch to ones with a better chance of controlling the cancer. In about 1 in 10 people in the study, liquid biopsies found that their cancer had developed mutations that would make their current treatment less effective. 'We have very effective treatments, but they can wear off,' Turner said. 'And if they wear off and the cancer starts growing again, it can make the person unwell. If they have cancer in the bones, it can start to cause pain.' Researchers randomly assigned half of the 315 people with mutations to change therapy right away and the other half to continue their medications as usual, said Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli, an author of the study and director of breast medical oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. One percent of study participants were men. For the people who changed therapy early, researchers replaced a hormonal drug they had been taking with an experimental cancer drug called camizestrant, which isn't yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Camizestrant interferes with estrogen's ability to stimulate cancer growth. AstraZeneca funded the clinical trial, which was built on early, basic research funded by the National Institutes of Health, Cristofanilli said. In study participants who switched to camizestrant, their cancers remained stable — without significant tumor growth — for 16 months, compared with nine months for people who didn't switch medications, according to the study. After one year, 61% of study participants who switched to camizestrant had stable disease, compared with 33% of those who didn't change treatment, according to the study. After two years, 30% of people who switched still had stable disease, compared with 5% who didn't. Study participants who switched therapies reported good overall health and quality of life for 23 months, compared to others in the study, who reported a deterioration in health and quality of life after 6.4 months. 'If we switch the treatment at just the right time, we can keep the cancer asleep, stop it from progressing and keep the person well,' Turner said. 'Many of my patients get back to work and just keep going with normal lives. They get time with their kids.' Although camizestrant is only available through clinical trials, a similar drug, Faslodex, has been approved by the FDA. Although camizestrant caused more side effects than the hormonal drugs, most people continued taking it. About 1.3% of participants stopped taking camizestrant because of side effects, compared with 1.9% who discontinued therapy with the hormonal drug. Side effects of camizestrant included a reduction in white blood cells and a heart rate that is slower than normal. People taking the drug also were more likely to see flashes or floating spots in their peripheral vision. Dr. Heather Parsons, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who wasn't involved with the research, said: 'This is an important study, but the results are immature.' 'We need to understand if changing therapy early helps patients or if it leads us to use more toxic therapies sooner,' Parsons said. The study didn't answer a major question: whether the new approach helps patients live longer. Turner said he plans to follow the participants to learn whether the new regimen improves survival. Thanks to better treatments, people with metastatic breast cancer now live about five years after their cancer spreads. That means that it can take several years to detect whether one treatment extends life more than another, Turner said. Doctors don't know if all patients would respond as well as those in the study. Most people in the study were white, with very few Black participants. About 317,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. this year, in addition to 2,800 cases in men, according to the American Cancer Society. About 42,170 people will die from the disease. Dr. Kelly Shanahan, a physician who has lived with estrogen-driven metastatic breast cancer since 2013, called the results 'exciting' and 'compelling.' 'I would certainly want to talk to my oncologist about an early switch if I were in this situation, especially if the side effects of camizestrant were acceptable to me,' said Shanahan, who serves as the director of research and president of the board of METAvivor, an advocacy group for people with metastatic disease. Scientists are developing liquid biopsies to improve the treatment of many types of cancer. In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, researchers in Australia used tumor DNA in the blood to predict which people with early colon cancer would need chemotherapy after surgery — and who could skip it without increasing their risk of relapse. Many doctors now use liquid biopsies when treating colon cancer patients, although the tests used in the study aren't available in all countries, said Dr. Jeanne Tie, the first author of that study and a senior research fellow of personalized oncology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Victoria, Australia. Liquid biopsies are also being studied to screen healthy people for cancer. For example, the FDA last year approved the first blood test, called Shield, to screen for colorectal cancer. The blood test is not meant to replace the colonoscopy, however, which is still required as part of a definitive diagnosis, and neither the American Cancer Society nor the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has endorsed Shield as a form of cancer screening. While the Shield test correctly identified 83% of colon cancers, it hasn't been shown to save lives. Doctors might one day use liquid biopsies to provide further answers when mammogram results are unclear, particularly for women with dense breasts, whose tumors are often missed by standard screenings, Cristofanilli said. He hopes that blood tests will reduce the number of painful needle biopsies. This article was originally published on
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘Pivotal' new breast cancer drug can help stop tumours early
A new drug has been found to halt the growth of certain breast cancer tumours, offering hope to patients and delaying the need for chemotherapy - with one professor describing the drug as 'a pivotal moment in breast cancer care'. The Serena-6 trial revealed that camizestrant effectively stops cancer cells from using hormones to fuel their growth. According to scientists, this is the first global study demonstrating that early detection of cancer resistance through blood tests can significantly benefit patients. The study focused on patients with hormone-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, which accounts for approximately 70 per cent of all cases. Results indicated that patients treated with camizestrant experienced a 56 per cent reduction in cancer progression compared to those receiving standard therapies. Doctors employed a straightforward blood test to identify changes in the cancer's DNA, which signal the potential failure of current treatments. Upon detecting these signs, some patients were administered camizestrant, while others continued with their standard treatment. Those on camizestrant had their cancer stay the same and not get worse for much longer, 16 months on average, compared with about nine months for the others. The drug was safe for most patients but 1 per cent stopped taking it because of side effects. More than 3,000 patients from 23 countries took part in the study, which was funded by AstraZeneca and co-led by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in London. Co-principal investigator Professor Nick Turner, group leader in molecular oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said the drug is 'a pivotal moment in breast cancer care'. Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research said: 'The results of the Serena-6 trial represent more than a clinical milestone, they represent a transformational shift in how we approach precision medicine.' About 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year and 11,500 will die from the disease, The Institute of Cancer Research said. The Serena-6 trial results were to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago on Sunday. Dr Catherine Elliott, director of research at Cancer Research UK, said: 'This study is a clear example of how blood tests are starting to transform cancer treatment. 'By tracking tiny traces of tumour DNA in the blood, researchers were able to spot early signs of treatment resistance and switch therapies before cancer had a chance to grow. 'It shows how circulating tumour DNA, or ctDNA, could help doctors make smarter, more timely treatment decisions. 'This approach could become an important part of how we personalise care for people with advanced breast cancer.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
World-first NHS cancer blood test to fast-track personalised treatment for thousands of patients
Thousands of cancer patients are set to benefit from a world-first NHS blood test that speeds up access to treatment and avoids the need for invasive biopsies. The screening—known as a liquid biopsy—is being rolled out to around 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer, NHS England has announced. There are also plans to expand it to advanced breast cancer and, potentially, prostate cancer patients in the near future. It works by analysing fragments of tumour DNA found in a simple blood sample, allowing doctors to quickly identify genetic mutations that can be matched to targeted therapies. This means treatment can begin far sooner, without waiting for traditional tissue biopsy results. Officials said the rollout marks the first time any health system in the world has adopted a 'blood test-first' approach for cancer on a national scale. The test will also be offered to around 5,000 women a year with advanced breast cancer who have not responded to standard treatment, helping doctors determine whether they are eligible for precision drugs. Scientists are also exploring its use for other forms of the disease including pancreatic and gallbladder cancers. Lung cancer is typically diagnosed with scans and a tissue biopsy, where a small tumour sample is examined under a microscope to assess the nature of the disease. Although genetic testing can be done on tissue, it is time-consuming as samples must be sent to a lab. Liquid biopsies offer faster results, using a far less invasive method. Around 10,000 people with non-small cell lung cancer—the most common form—have already received the test as part of an NHS pilot involving 176 hospitals. Patients who had a liquid biopsy were able to start treatment an average of 16 days earlier than those who had tissue samples taken. Independent analysis suggests the test could save the NHS up to £11 million a year in lung cancer care. The NHS said it was also expanding testing in advanced breast cancer, with several genetic variations now being screened for and around 5,000 women set to benefit per year. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: 'Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care… it's fantastic we can now expand this revolutionary test to help tailor treatment for thousands more patients.' Prof Johnson added: '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 said the rollout would 'give thousands of people peace of mind.' Professor Dame Sue Hill, chief scientific officer for England, added: 'This represents a real step-change in care for eligible lung and breast cancer patients on the NHS. 'This testing is transforming care and helping clinicians match patients earlier, especially when cancer tissue may not be available with potentially life-extending targeted therapies rapidly and with greater precision. 'This test is a great example of the NHS harnessing the power of genomic technological advances to enable the latest groundbreaking treatment to be delivered to patients.' One patient who has already benefitted is Rebeca Proctor, 41, from Carlisle, who was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in January. A liquid biopsy revealed she had an ALK genetic mutation, making her eligible for the targeted drug brigatinib. A traditional biopsy confirmed the result 10 days later. 'When I found out I had stage four cancer, it felt like being punched in the gut,' she said. 'I was scared—I kept thinking about my children and whether I'd get to see my little girl start nursery. 'But the medication has given me my life back. I've got my energy back, and my kids have their mum back. 'I know I won't be cured, but the treatment is keeping the cancer from spreading. We're taking it day by day and fighting whatever comes.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
NHS blood test to ‘revolutionise' cancer treatment
A revolutionary blood test that allows personalised cancer treatment is set to be rolled out on the NHS in a world first. The technique, known as a liquid biopsy, will become the standard test for lung cancer and also be offered to thousands of women with breast disease. Speaking to The Telegraph, Prof Peter Johnson, the national clinical director for cancer at NHS England described it as a 'golden key' to unlock personalised treatment'. In a landmark shift, the rapid tests will be offered to 20,000 patients this year, and could soon expand to cover six types of cancer. Experts said the tests, which detect tumour DNA in the blood, would allow for 'live monitoring' of both disease and treatment, meaning faster diagnoses and fewer side effects. Patients who have had a CT scan showing signs of the disease will be offered the test without having to wait for tissue biopsies. It may also help patients avoid chemotherapy altogether. The advances could also save the NHS money, with an independent economic review suggesting the rollout could save £11 million a year in lung cancer treatment costs. Prof Johnson said the shift would bring a 'new era' of personalised medicine. He told the Telegraph: 'For patients it means that a single blood test can now give us a window into how their cancer may respond to treatment. It means we can better understand the genetic make-up of their disease and use this DNA test like a 'golden key' to unlock personalised treatment, at much greater speed.' Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, whose mother died from lung cancer, said the announcement had 'profound significance'. He said: 'Imagine a world where most cancers are identified before symptoms even appear – not through invasive procedures or radiation-heavy scans, but through a simple blood draw during a routine check-up. 'This isn't science fiction. It's the near horizon of medical technology, and the UK is helping to lead the way.' Mr Kyle added: 'I often think about what such technology might have meant for my mum and our family. The anxiety it might have spared, the time it could have saved, the different trajectory her treatment might have taken. 'For the thousands of families facing the same devastating diagnosis, this technology can be a game-changer.' Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, added: 'This incredibly exciting new test could save countless lives, giving thousands of people peace of mind.' The announcement will see the NHS become the first health service in the world to roll-out a 'blood test-first' approach to diagnosing lung cancer. In total, 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer will be offered the tests, as well as around 5,000 women with advanced breast cancer who are not responding to treatment. They will be offered liquid biopsies to see if they might respond to drugs which can slow or halt the progress of disease. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in England, with around 50,000 women diagnosed every year. Lung cancer remains the biggest killer, with 35,000 deaths annually. Experts said the breakthrough will make a critical difference in cutting the time it takes to diagnose and treat disease. The advances will also allow medics to narrowly focus treatment as specifically as possible, meaning it is 'kinder' on the body, sparing patients from some of the worst side effects. The test, which detects tumour DNA fragments circulating in the blood, allows clinicians to rapidly identify genetic mutations driving cancer, and match patients with therapies tailored to a tumour's genetic profile. Professor Johnson 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.' He said the advances could allow medics to deliver 'more targeted and kinder care for patients' sparing some chemotherapy. '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,' he said. The senior oncologist added that the approach had still more potential, as it may be able to screen apparently healthy patients for signs of disease. '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,' he said. The announcement comes on the eve of the world's largest cancer conference, the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Annual Meeting (ASCO), which is expected to reveal results from a host of trials examining the role of liquid biopsy and precision medicines. Dr Julie Gralow, ASCO chief medical officer, said the method allowed medics to carry out 'live monitoring at a level that is actually much more specific and early than waiting for it to show up on scans'. As well as being used to diagnose patients, it can help to guide treatment, and 'to understand how the tumour is getting around the treatment,' she said. 'This is a cool way of not having to stick needles into wherever the cancer is, but just drawing blood,' she said. 'The benefit of looking in the blood is it shows the most active part of the cancer.' Results from pilot NHS schemes for lung cancer show the approach can fast-track patients to start treatment two weeks earlier and avoid repeated scans, delays and needless toxic therapies. Dr Isaac Garcia-Murillas, from the Molecular Oncology Group at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said the potential patient benefits and cost savings were 'incredible'. The researcher, who has worked in the field for more than a decade, said that as well as saving patients from tumour biopsies, which can be painful, the test also meant you could detect cancerous cells which would be 'undetectable' on any other test. He said: 'This allows you to detect micro metastases way earlier – potentially a year before you could see it. The whole idea is this tumour is too small to be picked up by imaging. These are cells that are undetectable on other tests.' He said the rollout of liquid biopsy was now 'unstoppable' with other experts saying it would 'transform' cancer care. A pilot scheme in 176 hospitals tested the method in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – the most common lung cancer. All such patients with stage three and four disease will now be eligible for the tests, under the national rollout. The NHS has just begun offering the tests to around 1,000 women with advanced breast cancer, and will expand this to test for four types of gene mutations – expanding access to targeted treatments. The technology is also being evaluated for four other cancers including pancreatic and gallbladder disease, which are some of the hardest to treat. Ultimately such tests could be offered to all over 40s as part of screening methods to spot disease long before symptoms appear. Experts have said this would be the 'holy grail', with the NHS currently testing such methods in the largest trial in the world. Professor Dame Sue Hill, chief scientific officer for England, said: 'This represents a real step-change in care for eligible lung and breast cancer patients on the NHS.' NHS will be world's first health service to roll out 'blood test-first' approach for lung cancer by Peter Kyle I remember the day my mum was diagnosed with lung cancer. The brutal suddenness of it. The feeling that time had frozen, and the questions about the uncertain journey ahead. I remember the horrible uncertainty of waiting for the results and treatment options – weeks that, for so many families, matter more than words can express. That's why today's announcement holds such profound significance, both professionally as Science and Innovation Secretary, and deeply personally as someone who has lost a loved one to lung cancer. The NHS is about to become the first health service in the world to roll out a revolutionary 'blood test-first' approach for diagnosing suspected lung cancer. This liquid biopsy test can detect minute fragments of tumour DNA circulating in a patient's bloodstream – allowing doctors to identify specific genetic variations and begin targeted treatment up to two weeks faster than traditional methods. For the 40,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer each year in England, this isn't just a medical advancement – it's transformative. Many patients will be spared unnecessary invasive biopsies. Some will avoid chemotherapy altogether. And all will benefit from faster access to the right treatment. The word 'revolutionary' is often overused in technology discussions, but in this case, it's entirely warranted. Precision medicine This simple blood test represents the vanguard of a technological shift in healthcare – one that brings together genomic science, data analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver precision medicine at unprecedented speed. And it is just the latest example of our mission to put the latest technology in the hands of doctors and patients, making our NHS fit for the future through our Plan for Change. Earlier this week, we announced the roll-out of cutting-edge radiography machines in every region, giving better and faster cancer treatment to thousands of patients. And we've already helped tens of thousands of suspected cancer patients get a faster diagnosis, making life-saving interventions. What truly excites me about today's announcement is that this is just the beginning. The technology behind these liquid biopsies points toward a future where routine blood tests could screen for multiple cancers simultaneously, detecting disease at its earliest, most treatable stages. Imagine a world where most cancers are identified before symptoms even appear – not through invasive procedures or radiation-heavy scans, but through a simple blood draw during a routine check-up. UK is helping to lead the way This isn't science fiction. It's the near horizon of medical technology, and the UK is helping to lead the way. I often think about what such technology might have meant for my mum and our family. The anxiety it might have spared, the time it could have saved, the different trajectory her treatment might have taken. For the thousands of families facing the same devastating diagnosis, this technology can be a game-changer. This is why we pursue scientific and technological progress with such determination – because behind every statistic, every clinical trial, every pilot programme, there are real people whose lives hang in the balance. For the thousands diagnosed with lung and breast cancer each year who have felt the disease's devastating impact, this technological advancement offers something beyond medical treatment. It offers hope. And we will continue to deliver that as we bring our health service into the 21st century by making the best possible testing and treatments available to patients on the NHS.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Kenya: Ministry of Health and Roche Partner to Cut Breast Cancer Treatment Costs by Two-Thirds
Breast cancer patients in Kenya are set to benefit from a major cost reduction in treatment, with sessions expected to drop from KES 120,000 to KES 40,000 following a landmark partnership between the Ministry of Health and Roche East Africa. Presiding over the event, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale officially launched the collaboration between the Ministry—through the Social Health Authority (SHA)—and Roche East Africa. This partnership aims to strengthen financial protection for patients battling cancer, one of Kenya's leading non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in line with the country's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks a bold step toward improving access to affordable, quality cancer care, particularly for breast cancer patients. Under the agreement, the cost per treatment session is capped at KES 40,000, with no co-payment required from patients. The partnership will be rolled out across all SHA-contracted facilities—including public, faith-based, and private hospitals—ensuring equitable access to care. Key components of the collaboration include: Enhanced access to essential cancer medicines and diagnostics Capacity-building and training for healthcare workers in breast and cervical cancer management Expanded screening and early detection efforts to support timely intervention and better health outcomes In his remarks, Hon. Duale reiterated the Ministry's commitment to transforming Kenya's health system, highlighting ongoing reforms such as the rollout of digital health tools to combat counterfeit medicines and unqualified practitioners. 'This partnership is not only about reducing treatment costs; it's about saving lives, promoting equity, and reinforcing the integrity of our healthcare system,' said the Cabinet Secretary. The event was attended by a high-level delegation led by Roche East Africa General Manager Ms. Jacqueline Wambua. Also present were Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Ms. Mary Muthoni, SHA Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed, Acting SHA CEO Mr. Robert Ingasira, Pharmacy and Poisons Board CEO Dr. Fred Siyoi, and KMPDC CEO Dr. David Kariuki. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
