Revolutionary Blood Test Aims to Fast-Track Lung Cancer Patients for Targeted Therapy

Delays in diagnosing and treating lung and breast cancer can significantly affect patient survival, especially when access to targeted therapies hinges on time-consuming tissue biopsies. Now, a groundbreaking ‘liquid biopsy’ blood test that detects genetic mutations in cancer via a simple blood sample offers a faster, less invasive route to personalized treatment.

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS, UK) is leading the global rollout of this blood test-first strategy, making it the first healthcare system in the world to use liquid biopsy as a frontline diagnostic tool for suspected lung cancer patients. Following a successful pilot program, NHS England announced that up to 15,000 lung cancer patients annually and around 5,000 patients with advanced breast cancer could now benefit from this test. More than 1,600 lung cancer and 600 breast cancer patients have already undergone testing since April. The clinical pilot showed promising results, particularly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. Around 10,000 NSCLC patients participated in the pilot, which included 176 hospitals across the country. In some cases, liquid biopsy allowed patients to begin targeted therapy up to two weeks earlier. The test also spared many patients from undergoing additional invasive procedures or receiving unnecessary chemotherapy, contributing to better quality of life and improved treatment precision.

The cost-effectiveness of the test adds further value to its clinical utility. An independent health economic evaluation projected potential savings of up to GBP 11 million annually in lung cancer care alone, due to reduced diagnostic and treatment costs. The NHS is also evaluating the test for other cancer types, such as pancreatic and gallbladder cancer. Patients with advanced breast cancer who are no longer responding to previous treatments are now eligible for liquid biopsy testing, which helps match them with new targeted options. This marks a major shift in breast cancer management, particularly for those who previously had limited therapeutic avenues. By offering a faster, easier, and less invasive way to obtain critical genetic information, the test supports a more personalized approach to cancer care while easing strain on healthcare services. The test is being hailed as ‘transforming’ cancer care for NHS patients.

“Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care and it’s fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country,” said Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer. “As research progresses, it’s exciting that this approach has the potential to help us ‘scan’ the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.”