The NHS has launched a pilot of a rapid genomic brain tumour test that slashes diagnosis times from up to eight weeks to under two hours. Developed by the University of Nottingham, the technology sequences tumour DNA while patients are still on the operating table. This allows neurosurgeons to make immediate, life-changing decisions about how much tissue to safely remove. The pilot is running in five specialist UK centres, offering hope for faster treatment and clinical trial access.
Rapid brain tumour genomic test
- ▪The rapid genomic test was developed by the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
- ▪The NHS has begun piloting a rapid genomic test for brain tumours that can reduce diagnosis times from up to eight weeks to less than two hours.
- ▪The genomic test works by passing DNA molecules from a small tumour tissue sample through a nanopore in a shoebox-sized sequencing machine made by Oxford Nanopore.
Intraoperative surgical diagnosis
- ▪The rapid genomic test allows neuropathologists to identify the exact type of brain tumour while the patient is still undergoing surgery on the operating table.
- ▪Steve Palmer, a 55-year-old patient from Nottingham, received a grade 4 glioblastoma diagnosis within two hours of his sample reaching the laboratory during his surgery.
- ▪Knowing the tumour type during surgery helps neurosurgeons decide whether to perform radical surgery to remove curable tumours or take a cautious approach with aggressive, un-resectable tumours.
Accelerated treatment initiation
- ▪A faster diagnosis from the rapid genomic test enables patients to start treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy much sooner, reducing weeks of anxiety.
- ▪Dr. Simon Newman of The Brain Tumour Charity stated that more than a quarter of brain tumour patients currently wait over a month following surgery to learn their tumour type.
Clinical trial access
- ▪The rapid genomic test provides the detailed genetic profile of a tumour required for patients to secure faster access to specific clinical trials.
- ▪Dr. Karen Noble of Brain Tumour Research stated that standard genomic turnaround times are often too long to inform care and clinical trial access for aggressive brain cancers.
NHS specialist centre pilot
- ▪NHS England is piloting the rapid genomic test in five specialist centres, including Nottingham, Birmingham, Great Ormond Street Hospital, King's College Hospital, and Newcastle.
- ▪The NHS England pilot will expand in its second phase to additional genomic laboratory sites in Bristol, Oxford, Leeds, and Manchester.
Brain tumour diagnostic complexity
- ▪Brain tumours are highly complex and difficult to identify because there are between 100 and 150 distinct types that range from slow-growing to highly aggressive.
- ▪Brain tumours are the single biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the United Kingdom, with over 12,000 people diagnosed annually.
Debatable claims
- ▪Rapid genomic sequencing is superior to traditional microscopic analysis for brain tumour diagnosis
- ▪Rapid genomic testing is reliable enough to guide real-time surgical decisions
- ▪The NHS should immediately roll out the rapid brain tumour test nationwide
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