A lateral flow test to detect aggressive, recurring brain tumours is to be developed in a pioneering study.
Scientists at the University of Sheffield and Nottingham Trent University, UK, say they hope the new technology will significantly reduce the need for MRI scans and provide a cost-effective alternative to some clinic appointments.
Tumour recurrence following initial treatment is often inevitable but it is unpredictable, which makes it difficult to detect early, the researchers say. This leads to poor prognosis.
The new research is focusing on a simple finger prick, which can be done at home, that will be able to detect specific tumour molecules in the blood, enabling a very early indication of it returning. Prototype lateral flow tests are being developed in the lab before the study moves to clinical validation.
Dr Ola Rominiyi, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Medicine and Population Health, said: “Aggressive brain tumours such as glioblastoma virtually always come back after treatment, but detecting this recurrence at the earliest possible stage remains a challenge and an important priority for research highlighted by patients.
“Currently, patients often have follow-up MRI scans every three to six months, but successful development of lateral flow tests to detect brain cancer could make it possible to efficiently test for recurrence every week, so that more recurrent tumours are caught early, at a more treatable stage.”
Professor Philippe Wilson, from Nottingham Trent University, added: “Brain tumours are managed with the best available treatments when first diagnosed but, unfortunately, recurrence is a major problem and some come back very quickly and aggressively.
“If you have an MRI six months after treatment, by that point a tumour could have been back for a significant amount of time potentially. It’s hard to imagine a medical technology so widely used and understood as the lateral flow test. This tech would provide regular, affordable disease monitoring for patients at home in an easy-to-use way.
“We hope the work could be applied to other types of cancer too, potentially helping to save millions of lives worldwide.”
Funding for the project has come from the Medical Research Council as part of investment to support researchers to understand and treat cancers with exceptionally poor survival rates.
Leave a Reply