Health security

Blood test for ALL cancers that can spot tumours ten years before any symptoms: 'Liquid biopsy' will check for DNA shed by growths

A universal cancer test that can diagnose tumours a decade before symptoms appear is being developed by scientists.

Known as a ‘liquid biopsy’, it involves patients providing a blood sample that is run through a laboratory machine for a highly sophisticated analysis.

It scans the blood for any DNA that has been shed by tumours. This starts circulating in the bloodstream long before patients feel symptoms.

The genetic code provided in this ‘circulating tumour DNA’ – known as ctDNA – tells scientists where in the body tumours are growing and how far the cancer has spread.

The test could be available within two years and the eventual goal is to offer it to patients alongside routine checks on their blood pressure and cholesterol at their GP surgery.