Patients with suspected brain tumours could soon spend far less time waiting for answers, thanks to a rapid NHS test that can identify the type of tumour in as little as two hours.
The genomic test is already being used by doctors and can provide information while a patient is still undergoing surgery. That could help surgeons decide how much tissue to remove and allow treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy to begin sooner.
A diagnosis during surgery
Steve Palmer, 55, from Nottingham, was among the first patients to benefit from the technology. He collapsed at a gym and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour. During his operation at Queenβs Medical Centre, doctors were told that the tumour was likely to be a grade 4 glioblastoma after the sequencing machine had been running for around 20 minutes.
βGetting that quick diagnosis removed weeks of anxiety,β Steve told the BBC. Although it was not the result he had hoped for, he said the information meant he could move on to the next stage of treatment and recovery.
Normally, confirming the precise type of brain tumour through molecular and genetic analysis can take six to eight weeks. There are around 150 types, ranging from slow-growing tumours to aggressive cancers, and they do not all respond to treatment in the same way.
How the test works
Small tissue samples are sent to a pathology laboratory and loaded into a shoebox-sized sequencing machine made by Oxford Nanopore. DNA molecules pass through a tiny hole called a nanopore, revealing the tumourβs distinctive genetic fingerprint.
The technology uses software developed by the University of Nottingham in partnership with hospital clinicians. Consultant neuropathologist Dr Simon Paine said the test offered a much clearer molecular classification than examining tumour cells under a microscope.
Consultant neurosurgeon Stuart Smith said some tumours need the most complete removal possible, while others are too aggressive for that approach and require greater caution to avoid damaging the brain. A rapid diagnosis could therefore influence decisions before an operation has finished.
Pilot will expand across England
NHS England is piloting the test at five specialist centres: Nottingham University Hospitals, University Hospitals Birmingham, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Kingβs College Hospital and Newcastle Hospitals. The programme is due to extend to sites in Bristol, Oxford, Leeds and Manchester.
The NHS says the pilot will test how the technology can be used safely and consistently in patient care. Faster results could also give some patients quicker access to clinical trials, while reducing the weeks of uncertainty faced by them and their families.
Why this is good news for Britain
The pilot brings specialist genomic technology into NHS care and could shorten diagnosis and treatment delays for brain tumour patients. It also draws on expertise from UK hospitals, Oxford Nanopore and the University of Nottingham, while testing a model that could eventually benefit patients across the country.
