The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) is rolling out a game-changing new blood biopsy to thousands of citizens plagued by lung cancer. It works by identifying circulating tumour DNA in the bloodstream and provides information about the best personalized treatment options for the patient.
Developed by medical company Guardant Health, the Marsden360 blood draw has been proving itself as a superior minimally-invasive alternative to tissue biopsies. It is also being used for subjects with breast cancer.
“From a simple blood sample, liquid biopsies identify the genetic changes in DNA, allowing patients to be matched to targeted treatments based on their genomic profile,”the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a leading cancer-specialized hospital network, has explained.
It will enable up to 15,000 new patients to receive treatment plans more than two weeks faster than would be possible with a tissue analysis, NHS England highlighted in a news release on Friday. These targeted treatment options it can inform healthcare professionals about are much better than standard chemotherapy.
The NHS has pointed out that this new blood biopsy rollout could potentially save the healthcare system over C$20 million per annum in lung cancer care alone. This dollar figure is based on an independent economic assessment.
“Not only does this reduce the time taken to start treatment [this wait has often been described to me as ‘hell’ by patients],” commented British medical oncologist Fiona McCarthy, “it has also shown to help patients avoid repeated diagnostic procedures, unnecessary standard chemotherapy [and its side effects] and improved patients’ quality of life.”
Revolutionary is how the test is being described. Preliminary results it has yielded, provided within only a few days, have stunned UK doctors.
‘We’ve tested about 10,000 people and found it’s both effective… and quicker.’
The NHS will offer new ‘liquid biopsies’ to cancer patients.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer care, explained to #BBCPM how this will speed up treatment. pic.twitter.com/yuJ6YVQCoO
— BBC Radio 4 PM (@BBCPM) May 30, 2025
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News precedes world’s largest cancer conference
The monumental announcement, first revealed by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust on May 27, came right before the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
This event, concluding on Jun. 3, brings together more than 40,000 oncology experts every year to talk about advancements in cancer care. The conference has been held each year since 1964.
At this year’s meeting, the “revolutionary” new blood biopsy will surely be one of the important topics being discussed. Multiple prominent media companies have been reporting on this exciting development.
“By delivering faster diagnoses, accelerating time to treatment, and expanding access, liquid biopsy is reshaping the patient experience and unlocking new efficiencies in patient care and healthcare,” test creator Guardant Health said.
“This announcement shows what’s possible when innovation is prioritized and fast-tracked into the system,” said The Brain Tumour Charity in a social media post.
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