New Test Predicts Breast Cancer Relapse: UK Study

A study by London’s Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has found a new blood test that can detect signs of breast cancer returning years before it happens. This “ultra-sensitive” test finds tiny cancer cells that remain after treatment, which are too small for scans to detect. According to the BBC, the research was 100% accurate in predicting which cancer survivors would relapse.

The ICR study tested 78 patients with early breast cancer. The test searched for 1,800 mutations in their blood released by cancer cells. Circulating tumour DNA was found in 11 women, all of whom saw their cancer return, while no other participants experienced a relapse.

The findings were presented on June 2 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago. The blood test detected cancer an average of 15 months before symptoms appeared or scans showed the illness, with the earliest detection at 41 months.

Dr. Isaac Garcia-Murillas, the lead researcher, explained that breast cancer cells can stay in the body after surgery and other treatments but might be too few to detect on scans. These cells can cause a relapse years later.

The study involved testing blood samples at diagnosis, then after surgery and chemotherapy, and repeating the tests every three months for the next year and every six months for the following five years. This method could improve post-treatment monitoring and lead to life-extending treatments.

Dr. Simon Vincent from Breast Cancer Now, which helped fund the study, said that catching breast cancer recurrence earlier means treatment is more likely to destroy the cancer and prevent it from spreading and becoming incurable.

Re-reported from the article originally published in She the People.