By measuring tumor DNA circulating in the blood, a test could predict the prognosis of patients with early lung cancer, according to a study.
- A new study reveals the potential of circulating tumor DNA to predict the risk of relapse in patients with early lung cancer.
- Next Personal technology, capable of detecting tiny traces of ADNTC, was tested on 171 patients. The results show that a low level of ADNTC before surgery is associated with better survival and a reduced risk of recurrence.
- This tool could guide clinicians to personalized treatments, avoiding unnecessary therapies for some and providing intensified care for patients at risk.
Will it soon be possible to predict, thanks to a simple blood test, the risks of recurrence after treatment of lung cancer? Hope is allowed, according to a team of researchers from Francis Crick Institute and the University College in London (UCL), in the United Kingdom. In a study published in Medicine naturethey highlight the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ADNTC) to predict the evolution of the disease.
Ultra-sensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA
The ADNTC, that is to say the DNA fragments from tumor cells and circulating in blood, is already recognized for its usefulness in the prognosis of cancer. “It has been shown that his presence or absence in the blood was strongly predictive of the prognosis”specify scientists in a press release. But the ADNTC was so far very difficult to measure with precision. However, the new platform designed by scientists, called Next Personal, makes it possible to detect traces of ADNTC with an exceptional sensitivity, “Up to the one on the one hand per million”.
Researchers applied their technology to blood plasma samples from 171 patients with lung cancer at the early stage. The results were clear: low levels of ADNTC before surgery were associated with a risk of lower recurrence and better chances of overall survival. Note that the increased sensitivity of Next Personal also makes it possible to avoid false negatives in patients with low ADNTC levels.
A strategy to personalize care
After surgery, ADNTC could be used to assess the risk of relapse, according to researchers. “This approach could offer doctors a way to offer additional therapy to patients at risk, thus increasing their chances of healing.” And, for patients whose ADNTC test is negative, this could avoid unnecessary and heavy treatments.
This study marks a crucial step towards medicine “In the case-case”. “These tests can help us to go to a more personalized medicine, by ensuring that the treatments are adapted to patients according to the most likely evolution of their disease”conclude the authors.
