Forum Discussion
Blood test to replace mammo
Has anyone else heard or read about this? A research centre in England have successfully detected breast cancer using blood tests earlier than a mammogram would. They are currently doing further trials. How awesome would that be! I wonder if it will also detect metastatic. The blood test can apparently detect it up to five years before any symptoms appear. I am thinking the mammogram centres will try to block these trials ever coming to Australia. Oops, that is probably not a nice thing to say.
17 Replies
- Thanks for that, @Kristen - I did see the Current Affair but none of the others ... I must have missed the bit about trials ...
I am more than happy to give blood to them to check out - so have contacted them .... just hope I don't have to go to Sydney (or elsewhere) to give it! - Here are links to mulitple different videos and recent posts about it.Each one a smidge different but similar.It was all over the news a few weeks ago.I am surprised you didn't see it.It was in the news recently on A Current affair3/5/23 and shared on Sydney Breast Clinic Facebook page.In research, to be used along side mammograms- not replace it..They are asking for blood donations at a few specific clinics /places."SBC is proud to be associated with BCAL Diagnostics ground breaking research into breast cancer diagnosis via blood. Patients attending SBC are offered the opportunity to discuss the BCAL study further with the on-site Clinic Research Associate and to donate a blood sample for ongoing BCAL research."https://www.facebook.com/ACurrentAffair9/videos/1662070900937834Also on BCAL Diagnostics Facebook pageand 7News Sydney 3rd Maywas reported a few times in different formats on So Brave facebook page3/5 with Nine news recordinghttps://www.facebook.com/sobraveofficial/videos/684814856743962This one mentions sydney breast clinic, westmead and St vincents hospitals are currently participating in the clincal trial.this link also was on another SO brave facebook post to a print article
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/bcal-diagnostics-blood-test-help-detect-breast-cancer-health-australia/cd1a0bf8-cc8e-48fb-bda6-9ac3acadf0e5?fbclid=IwAR1hmtsbbHIJ1bZ4WU7No5Y6OcC7jnxlh6iuuhfgCXxySogPc4MrRKChuOMNot approved yet , may be as early as 2024 some of the articles suggested. But almost all the stories said its not to replace a mammogram, rather used in conjuction as an aditional tool with potential ability to detect things very early.You can watch each of the videos and articles if you want to get a picture of current trial happening in Sydney and potentially more info if you search for the clincial trial itself if you really want to get into the details. - Just reading up on this again - it is now available for patients in the UK thru a trial - the blood test can detect CTC (Circulating Tumour Cells) MUCH earlier than Mammograms & Ultrasounds. ....
https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/trak-er
Waiting for something to become a major problem, costing even more to the patient AND the Gov ($$, physically and mentally) is totally STUPID. When a dedicated blood test will show if the cancer is active again EARLY ON for patients who've already had cancer - without having more invasive procedures and finding a more advanced cancer.
It makes sense to make this liquid blood test become available to all of those following initial cancer treatment, as it is a very valuable diagnostic tool for the patient's future.
It would be SO MUCH simpler & less invasive than biopsies & other methods currently being used, as by then, they already know that the tumour is further advanced than it needed to be. :( Sadly, we pay about $5,000 for 'regular' genome testing in Australia (and it is often sent to the USA for testing and also takes up to 2 months for results.) So ANY test that identifies early cancer activity should be embraced by all Country's medicos.
I've been reading about this test since back in 2019, shortly after I was diagnosed - (back then called CTC Circulating Tumour Cells) & only one laboratory in Melbourne was offering it ... and then not heard much more of it ever since. Back then, it was decided that it wasn't 'reliable' enough to be used as a regular diagnostic tool - but at least these clinical trials in the USA & UK should prove otherwise.
I honestly believe that, in time, a 'mini chemo' pill will be available to knock these floating cancer cells on the head, BEFORE they become tumours ...... HOW GOOD WOULD THAT BE?
It makes sense to make this available to all of those following cancer treatment, as it is a very valuable diagnostic tool - especially for those like us, who, after our initial diagnosis, surgery & treatment have some level of 'fear of recurrence' .... this could be a yearly test, saving the Gov money, longterm, as if it was negative - you possisbly wouldn't even need the MG or US!
It IS available in Aussie - with about a $550 gap ... but WORTH IT, I reckon!
https://www.clinicallabs.com.au/about-us/doctor-media-releases/aspect-liquid-biopsy-analysis-of-circulating-tumour-dna-ctdna-in-cancer-patients-national/
There are currently Trials in the USA - shame they don't seem to have them in Australia yet. :(
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04567420
Maybe @BCNA could add this one to the LOBBY LIST for future discussions with Gov? - Yes i read something about that very recently. But it wasn't to replace mammograms as such, it was to identify prescence of particular cells . Will be years before in real use. But research is the only way to develop better treatments.If you google search "breast cancer blood test" and use the handy google tools option to change it to only search within the last month, you will see several varoius articles about latest developments in blood tests.
- I haven't heard anything further. It is too late for me but it would be great to save someone else from needing to go through the whole regime.
- That would be great if we could have a blood test instead of mammograms. I am still on the yearly mammograms and ultrasounds, and had mine a couple of weeks ago, and still awaiting results through the public system, which will be a telehealth appointment. My telephone appointment is in a couple of weeks. Thankfully the ultrasound person indicated all was good, but I don't know that for sure yet. Talk about an anxious wait! Can you tell I am grumpy today, not happy with the way our public system is heading in Australia.
- Just bouncing this one to the top as we've been following it for a few years now - as the CTC (Circulating Tumour Cell) OR 'CTDNA' technology is now being used overseas to detect active cancer cells in the blood.
Has anyone had it mentioned by their medical team? It is all part of the Genome stuff that is becoming more common with assisting diagnosis & treatment decisions ..... here are 2 more recent documents on it.
Both UK and USA are running clinical trials to evaluate it as a diagnostic tool ....
https://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13045-022-01351-y
HOW LONG TIL IT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO US IN AUSTRALIA ON MEDICARE??
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/liquid-biopsies--understanding-ctdna-and-circulating-tumor-cells.h00-159463212.html#:~:text=Known%20as%20a%20liquid%20biopsy,captured%20with%20a%20blood%20draw. - I read about this about a month ago. The future is coming, albeit slowly. We'll get there but it will be a long slow haul. No doubt initially they'll charge a fortune for it...
- This is an item on the TV news today!
Promoted as a simple blood test in trial stage - Precisely @Blossom1961 ... it would be more as a diagnostic tool and then gave PET scans etc to try and locate the primary, I guess.
To be honest, further down the track, I can see a chemo tablet being developed to go a-hunting those circulating tumour cells BEFORE they latch onto a specific area (but not so strong as to give you the nasty side effects!). Dreams are free.
