Cancer has significantly increased worldwide and millions of people are losing their lives due to a lack of better treatment and early diagnosis.
Keeping this in mind, various researches are being conducted to find a cure.
A customized cancer treatment, determined through a simple blood test, is being called “life-saving” after an initial study.
The Target National trial, led by The Christie hospital in Manchester, examines a patient’s DNA to find the most suitable therapy for them.
Dr Matthew Krebs, the study's chief investigator, told Sky News that its research was making "precision medicine" more accessible for a wider range of cancer patients.
He explained, “There are tiny bits of DNA which come off the cancer that circulate around in the bloodstream, so we can extract the DNA that specifically comes from the cancer."
“That DNA is then analysed, allowing doctors to see its specific mutations and suggest bespoke treatment rather than just treating generically with chemotherapy-type drugs, the patient gets a treatment that's more personalised to them,” Dr Matthew added.
The foundation aims to recruit 6,000 patients to determine whether using a blood test, known as “liquid biopsy,” can lead to better treatment results.
Dr Matthew acknowledges that this method “won’t work for everyone,” but in some cases, it has already helped patients with advanced cancer find suitable drug trials.
If the study proves successful, researcher hope that the procedure could be regularly offered as a standard treatment within the NHS.
