Genetic testing stories

Sep 25, 2026

NHS begins using rapid brain tumour test that cuts diagnosis time from weeks to hours

The NHS has started using a new rapid genetic test that can diagnose brain tumours in approximately two hours while patients are still on the operating table, compared to the previous wait of up to eight weeks. The test uses DNA analysis to identify which type of tumour a patient has, allowing doctors to begin treatment much sooner.

Sep 25, 20265 sources

May 30, 2026

DNA Test Could Allow Millions of Breast Cancer Patients to Safely Avoid Chemotherapy

Scientists have developed a DNA test that can distinguish between breast cancer patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy and those who can safely avoid it, potentially sparing millions from unnecessary treatment.

May 30, 20261 source

Apr 15, 2026

BRCA Gene Mutations Now Linked to Thyroid, Bladder, Skin and Head-Neck Cancers

International research led by RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences discovered new associations between pathogenic BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants and four additional cancer types beyond the previously known breast and ovarian cancers.

Apr 15, 20261 source

Top claims

▪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.
▪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.
▪The rapid genomic test provides the detailed genetic profile of a tumour required for patients to secure faster access to specific clinical trials.

Subtopics

Drug Approval and Clinical Trials2 Biomarkers & bloodwork testing1 Cancer diagnosis1 Cancer treatment1 Cancer treatment breakthroughs1 Healthcare Access and Insurance1 Personalized medicine1 Precision medicine1 Preventive longevity physicians1

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