Cheaper brain cancer test provides more accurate results in just 2 hours

UK: A cheaper and faster brain cancer test developed by UK researchers can now identify the type of brain tumour in just two hours, offering more accurate results than current methods, PA Media reported.

Patients typically wait six to eight weeks to determine the type of brain tumour they have, as samples are sent to central laboratories for genetic analysis. Experts said this long wait can be “traumatic” and delay treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

With the new test, diagnostic results can be ready in under two hours after surgery, with detailed tumour classifications available within minutes of sequencing.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) have developed a new method called ROBIN, short for rapid nanopore brain intraoperative classification, which assesses the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from a tumour sample.

The test was applied to 50 patients and was in concordance with the standard of care in 90% of cases, according to findings published in Neuro-Oncology.

Dr. Matt Loose, a professor of developmental and computational biology at the University of Nottingham, developed a method to sequence specific parts of human DNA using portable sequencing devices from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which offers real-time analysis. Now, the team has used it to test brain tumour samples genetically.

NUH neurosurgeon Dr Stuart Smith said, “Patients find waiting many weeks for results extremely difficult and this adds to the anxiety and worry at what is already a very difficult time.”

Meanwhile, NUH consultant neuropathologist Dr Simon Paine said that the method will be a “game changer,” pointing to the speed at which results will be available and the degree of accuracy of the diagnosis.

Dr. Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer of The Brain Tumour Charity, added that the new method will be “transformative for all patients” as it ensures rapid access to an optimal standard of care and, crucially, removes the uncertainty patients face in waiting weeks for their diagnosis and prognosis. /TISG

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