2024-01-14 02:21:35
Scientists are developing a new blood test to help doctors find the best treatment for skin cancer patients.
The test, known as a liquid biopsy, is currently in the pilot phase, and it is hoped that it will be used in the future to help doctors make their decisions regarding when to start and stop various treatments for patients with skin cancer.
The usual way to check the effectiveness of cancer treatments is through CT scanning, which provides detailed images of the inside of the body, and skin cancer patients must obtain these images every few months.
These images help doctors detect whether the tumor has shrunk or grown or if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
The new blood test looks for parts of the cancer’s DNA, where low levels mean the disease is shrinking and the treatment is effective, while a higher level shows the treatment is not working.
Results can be provided in a short period, meaning the test can track changes in how the treatment is working in real time, doctors say.
Since it is just a blood test, it can be performed regularly, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail” in a report.
The test focuses on measuring the effectiveness of the melanoma immunotherapy drugs “nivolumab” and “ipilimumab,” which help the immune system search for and destroy cancer.
The test might also give doctors an accurate indication of whether patients are responding to dabrafenib and trametinib, targeted therapies that interfere with the way some cancers grow and survive.
These treatments are very effective, but they do not work well for everyone, and they can stop working suddenly, without warning.
Thus, the availability of a test that can be performed continuously will be useful in terms of enabling doctors to notice any changes and switch treatment without delay, giving patients a better chance of surviving cancer.
Professor Paul Loregan, a consultant oncologist at The Christie Foundation Trust who led a recent study into the test, said: “We have been using this blood test in real time to determine the best treatment strategy for patients and when to switch to another treatment. I hope in the future, the small plot analysis will be used.” “From DNA coming from the cancer in the patient’s bloodstream to tell us when the patient is responding to treatment, and when it is the best time to change to another treatment.”
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