Researchers have found a new blood test study that may help predict recurring breast cancer quicker than other tests. Here’s what to know.
Trying to determine the likelihood of someone’s cancer returning is oftentimes difficult to do. Certain steps can be taken, such as administering a tissue-informed test—which essentially forms a diagnosis based on tissue taken from a tumor biopsy—but these aren’t always quick enough to catch cancer before it returns or spreads.
In a hopeful turn of events, researchers have identified a new blood test that could determine whether early triple negative breast cancer will recur for some women who may be at higher risk than others. According to Oncology Central, the test will be more affordable than other options and easier to administer. It also has the potential to detect cancer months in advance compared to traditional follow-up exams.
Basically, these blood tests (AKA liquid biopsies) are designed to seek out microscopic tumor fragments in blood that help indicate whether breast cancer will return before the tumors themselves begin to form in the body and become noticeable on scans.
A study posted in JAMA Oncology notes that these liquid biopsies were able to predict the recurrence of breast cancer approximately 7.9 months prior to when it would appear through those other scans and tests. It isn’t a foolproof method, and it requires specific information which we’ll cover below, but it will help doctors more easily identify individuals who require proactive treatment before the cancer recurs, spreads, or worsens.
Diving deeper into the topic is Dr. Debra Platt, a breast cancer specialist at Texas Oncology, who spoke with KERA News reporter Sam Baker about the development.
The blood tests are tailored to each patient
According to Dr. Debra Platt, these new blood tests are “very sensitive,” as they rely on specific information from each individual’s medical history to help determine their exact risk of breast cancer recurring. As Dr. Platt explained to Sam Baker at KERA News, medical professionals in these instances are “looking at a person’s breast cancer that they have had and looking for early recurrence by looking for mutational markers in the bloodstream — We’ve learned from the many studies that have looked at cell-free DNA and mutational analysis to detect early recurrence, is it does detect early reoccurrence. It has been demonstrated, particularly in triple negative breast cancer.”
She noted, though, that insurance does not currently cover this liquid biopsy, so it’s ultimately up to each person to decide through “collaborative discussion, usually between doctors and patients,” whether they want to receive the test. If a patient does decide to undergo the blood test after discussing it with their medical provider, everyone must work together from there to determine what the individual treatment plan and survival rate would be if tumor fragments are detected in their bloodstream.
Dr. Platt said, “So, what happens is you have a cancer that’s detected so a patient will get appropriate surgery, lumpectomy or mastectomy for their breast cancer. You know, whatever appropriate therapy they have, sometimes that’s radiation therapy, sometimes that’s chemotherapy or a pill to block estrogen, and then they’re really in follow-up essentially, and we see them regularly in follow-up to detect recurrence.”
When asked by Baker whether the newly discovered blood test would allow for crucial information to be gathered quicker than it would be through regular biopsies and imaging scans, Dr. Platt said yes, with a caveat. “In patients who have early stage breast cancer, we don’t do other routine imaging at regular intervals. And so what would precipitate imaging would be either a symptom or a laboratory abnormality to follow women with early stage cancer. There’s really not routine imaging.”
Yes, patients may need to proactively request the liquid biopsy because it won’t be part of their routine follow-ups, but spreading the word about it in advance will hopefully inform more people and help them catch cancer before it comes back.
