A team of British scientists has found that a blood test to detect circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) may help predict lung cancer outcomes.
Circulating tumour DNA, which consists of fragments of DNA released into the blood by tumours, is known to play an important role in disease prognosis but is challenging to measure accurately.
In a study, researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London used a whole-genome sequencing platform called NeXT Personal, which can detect very small amounts—1 part per million—of ctDNA.
The researchers analyzed blood plasma samples from 171 individuals with early-stage lung cancer using the platform.
The findings, published on Monday in Nature Medicine, revealed that individuals with a low level of ctDNA before surgery were less likely to experience a relapse and had better overall survival rates compared to those with high levels of ctDNA.
The high sensitivity of the test enabled the detection of smaller amounts of ctDNA, preventing misclassification of patients with low levels of ctDNA as ctDNA-negative.
“We’ve shown that the presence or absence of tumour DNA in the blood was strongly predictive of prognosis. ctDNA testing, especially using ultrasensitive platforms, could help clinicians make more informed decisions about treatment and provide patients with a clearer understanding of how their disease might progress,” said James Black, Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow at the Francis Crick Institute.
Currently, treatment for early-stage lung cancer involves surgical removal of the tumour, often combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease. These approaches aim to maximize the chances of a cure.
The team noted that the test will next be evaluated on samples from patients who have undergone surgery for the earliest stages of lung cancer. This assessment will help determine whether the presence of post-operative ctDNA in blood can predict the risk of future relapse.
If successful, the approach could enable doctors to offer additional therapy after surgery, improving patients’ chances of being cured, the scientists added.
(Inputs from IANS)
