Scientists say they are one step closer to unlocking the ability to know whether a tumour might spread to other parts of the body. They said the findings of a new study could one day allow doctors to use a blood test to predict how a patient’s cancer may grow.
In a series of seven papers published in Nature and Nature Medicine, Cancer Research UK-funded researchers describe how changes to the DNA of cancer cells allow them to anticipate how the cells will behave in the future. According to the research, this includes where and when the cancer will spread throughout the body.
Scientists say any future blood test would allow them to track the disease and rapidly adapt treatment in real time. The studies also suggest it offers a possible route through which doctors could analyse the disease’s risk of returning following surgery.
