Important lung cancer mutations ‘could be detected in the blood’

The detection of lung cancer mutations to help optimise treatment could be achieved through simple blood tests, according to a new study.

An international group of researchers has presented data at the European Lung Cancer Conference from a study comparing the ability of blood testing to detect EGFR mutations with the current standard method of testing the tumour tissue itself.

Overall, the study included 1,162 matched tissue and blood samples. Comparison of the outcomes of EGFR testing in the two techniques showed an 89 percent rate of agreement between the blood test and tissue test. 

Meanwhile, plasma testing identified about half of the patients with EGFR mutations compared to tissue testing, suggesting it could be a useful option when tumour tissue is not available.

Dr Martin Reck, from the department of thoracic oncology at Lung Clinic Grosshansdor, said: "This work paves the way for further studies and expands the routine use of examining mutations such as EGFR mutations as part of cancer patient care."

The detection of mutations such as EGFR is central to the principle of personalised medicine, which involved the creation of drugs specifically optimised to treat cancers typified by these mutations.