Researchers in British Columbia are celebrating what they say is a “breakthrough” in blood-based technology to treat and study various forms of cancer.
Metastatic cancers shed DNA into a person’s bloodstream, explained Vancouver Prostate Center senior researcher Dr. Alexander Wyatt. In collaboration with BC Cancer, he said the team has developed a blood test that uses an “unprecedented level of technological resolution” to examine the unique genetic makeup of each cancer.
“The more we understand about each person’s cancer, the better we can design and target treatments to ultimately kill the cancer,” the University of British Columbia assistant professor told Global News.
“It also means we can learn more about how advanced cancers develop and become resistant to treatment.”
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The research — more than five years in the making — was published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. The study was funded in part by grants to the Vancouver General and UBC Hospital Foundations, as well as the British Columbia Cancer Foundation.
The researchers used blood tests to examine cancer DNA from patients with metastatic prostate cancer. In practice, Wyatt said the new technology would allow patients in rural areas to send a vial of their blood to medical professionals by mail, who could then study its composition and try to come up with a treatment.
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“What this ultimately means for the patient is that we can move to a model where we can much better individualize cancer treatment,” he said. “We believe this is a huge breakthrough and we’re really excited about the next steps for our research.”
2:03 NS offers new form of blood cancer treatment NS offers new form of blood cancer treatment – June 21, 2022
Several precision medicine trials using blood tests are currently underway across the country. The researchers also shared their codes, data and methods publicly in an effort to expand and inspire blood-based technology in cancer research and treatment worldwide.
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The study was co-led by Dr. Kim Nguyen Chee, chief physician and oncologist at BC Cancer and professor in the UBC Department of Medicine.
According to the team, the blood test is minimally invasive, relatively cheap and scalable – applicable to other types of cancer as well.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Dr. Kim Nguyen Chee’s name. Global News regrets the error.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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