A ‘revolutionary’ blood test developed in London can detect breast cancer relapses around eight months prior to when they strike. The ‘minute amounts of cancer DNA’ in breast cancer survivors can be detected by this personalized blood test to predict if the disease will make a comeback.

Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research have created this new amazing test. The test finds very small numbers of the cancer cells that endured chemotherapy and stay in the bloodstream of a woman.

The scientists detected the cancer DNA by creating personal tests based on the specific mutations in each patient's cancer. The test may provide good results, but it is not expected to be available for some years.

The institute CEO Paul Workman said they are moving into an era of personalized medicine for cancer patients. It was found that women with cancer DNA in their blood were 12 times more likely to develop cancer again as compared to the ones who tested negative.

Shaw said, “And fishing for fragments of tumour DNA, or even rogue cancer cells, released into the bloodstream has emerged as a hugely promising way to do this”.

Fifteen patients relapsed and the blood test gave advanced warning of 12 of them. The other three patients all had cancers that had spread to the brain where the protective blood-brain barrier could have stopped the fragments of the cancer entering the bloodstream.

Given these advantages, the test will potentially make it easy for physicians to monitor breast cancer patients following treatment and provide early intervention if the risk of recurrence begins to climb.

Moffitt is among the 45 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, and is located in Tampa. Its presence in the list of cancer centers identifies its excellence in research, contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control.