A new DNA test could allow millions of breast cancer patients worldwide to safely avoid chemotherapy, according to an international trial reported by the BBC. The test screens tumours to identify which patients require the treatment and which can do without.
The study, co-led by researchers in the UK, analysed genetic markers from tumour biopsies. Results suggested that women with early-stage breast cancer and specific genetic profiles could skip chemotherapy without increasing their risk of recurrence. The trial involved thousands of patients across multiple countries.
“A new DNA test could help millions of breast cancer patients avoid chemotherapy, while a cancer jab at the Royal Marsden has destroyed whole tumours in some head and neck cancer patients. Both developments offer hope of more targeted, less toxic treatments.”
Separately, a promising triple-action cancer jab being trialled at the Royal Marsden hospital in London has shown encouraging results for some patients with head and neck cancer. The Mirror reports that in some cases, tumours disappeared entirely among patients whose cancers had been resistant to previous treatments.
The jab – a type of immunotherapy – works by training the immune system to attack cancer cells from three different angles. Early results from the phase 1/2 trial at the Royal Marsden have been described as "encouraging". Researchers plan to expand the trial to larger groups of patients.
For the UK, where around 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, the DNA test could have a major impact on treatment decisions. The NHS is already a partner in some of the genetic research underpinning the test. If approved for routine use, it could save the health service millions of pounds by reducing the number of patients needing expensive chemotherapy drugs and associated hospital care.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where cancer care is devolved, health boards will be watching the results closely. Any new test would need to be assessed by the respective agencies before rollout, but the SNP government in Scotland has already invested in genomic medicine.
Professor Andrew Tutt, director of the breast cancer research group at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, told the BBC: “This study helps to show that for many women with early breast cancer, chemotherapy is not necessary if they have a low-risk genetic profile.”
Dr. Juanita Lopez, a consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden, told The Mirror: “We are seeing responses in patients who had run out of options – some with complete disappearance of their tumours. That’s very exciting.”
What happens next: The international trial on the DNA test is continuing to gather long-term outcomes data. A final analysis is expected within two to three years. The cancer jab at the Royal Marsden is moving into a phase 2 trial later this year, with results expected in 2026.
## What This Means For You
- Breast cancer patients: If you are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, your oncologist may soon offer a genetic test to determine whether chemotherapy is necessary. This could spare you the side effects of chemo – such as nausea, hair loss and fatigue – if your tumour is low-risk. - Head and neck cancer patients: Those with treatment-resistant head and neck cancer may be able to join the expanded Royal Marsden trial. The jab could offer a new option for people who have run out of standard treatments. - Taxpayers and the NHS: Reducing unnecessary chemotherapy could save the NHS tens of millions of pounds each year, freeing up resources for other cancer treatments. - Anyone with a family history of cancer: These advances highlight the growing role of genetic testing and immunotherapy in personalising cancer care – making it more likely that future treatments will be tailored to your specific tumour.