This blood test can predict breast cancer recurrence months or years before it occurs.

Breast cancer recurrence can now be predicted months or even years before they happen. According to the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) at the University of London (UK), a team of scientists have found a method by which they hope to open the door to new therapeutic strategies against recurrent cancer that stop it in its tracks in the long run. previously.

These scientists analyzed blood samples for the presence of circulating tumor DNA – released into the bloodstream by cancer cells – and were able to identify all the patients in the study who would later relapse by detecting very low levels of cancer in the blood (known as molecular residual disease).

By identifying patients who are most likely to experience recurrences, ICR scientists hope that new strategies can be developed to combat breast cancer, since treatment can begin much earlier than now because there would be no need to wait for the disease to become visible through a scanner.

encouraging results The results of this study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which was held in Chicago (USA) on June 2. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in Spain. This is a neoplasm that may remain in the body after surgery and other treatments. without being detected by the means we currently have. It is these residues that can cause relapses years after the initial treatment. Thus, this type of ultra-sensitive blood test may be a better long-term alternative for monitoring patients who already have some risk of cancer recurrence.

Encouraging results

Scientists took samples 78 patients with various types of breast cancer and tested them for the presence of circulating tumor DNA. These samples were taken from women at diagnosis, before treatment, after the second cycle of chemotherapy, after surgery and every three months for the first year. Finally, samples were taken every six months for the next five years.

The results showed that detection of circulating tumor DNA at any time after surgery was associated with a high risk of future relapse and generally worse survival. Residual molecular disease was identified in all patients (11) who experienced relapses.. The median time to clinical recurrence in this group of patients was fifteen months, which represents an increase of three months compared with tests currently used in all types of breast cancer.

None of the 60 patients in whom circulating tumor DNA was detected experienced relapses during the entire follow-up period. And there were three in which this marker was found, but this they had no relapses during training.

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