News

NHS becomes first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood test to help treat cancer patients

The test is to be used before traditional tissue biopsies.

Emily Sergeant - 2nd June 2025

The NHS has become the first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood tests to help treat cancer patients.

Tens of thousands of patients with lung and breast cancer in England are set to benefit from the new ‘liquid biopsy’ test that can speed up access to targeted therapy by up to two weeks earlier, all while helping some patients avoid further tests and treatments – including chemotherapy.

The test is to be used before traditional tissue biopsies to help diagnose certain types of cancer.

A ‘liquid biopsy’ works by detecting tiny fragments of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and looks for specific genetic variations of cancer, allowing patients to access targeted therapies which are tailored to the genetic profile of their cancer.

The blood test is being rolled out nationwide following a successful pilot, and NHS England expects that around 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer could now benefit from the test each year.

Thousands of patients with cancer will benefit from a new blood test which can speed up access to targeted therapy.

That’s people like Rebeca, who, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, had a liquid biopsy and was able to start treatment faster.https://t.co/8WiEFdHxp3 pic.twitter.com/9IIjUhIJO8

— NHS England (@NHSEngland) May 30, 2025

Pilot data in lung cancer showed that in some cases, patients received the results of ctDNA testing needed to make treatment decisions 16 days earlier with liquid biopsies compared with the standard cancer tissue biopsy approach.

An independent health economic assessment of the pilot estimated the test could save the NHS up to £11 million per year in lung cancer care.

Because of this, the NHS says it’s now looking at using the test in a range of other cancers too – including pancreatic and gallbladder cancer.

“Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is the NHS’s national clinical director for cancer, “and it’s fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country.

“Cutting-edge genomic testing is helping us deliver more targeted and kinder care for patients, enabling some to avoid more intensive treatments such as further chemotherapy, which can have a huge impact.

“We are already seeing the difference this test can make in lung and breast cancer, and we hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.

“As research progresses, it’s exciting that this approach has the potential to help us ‘scan’ the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.”

Read more:

• Five-minute ‘super jab’ to treat 15 different types of cancer rolled-out on NHS
• New endometriosis pill helping hundreds of women with ‘debilitating’ condition to be made available on NHS
• NHS strikes deal with private sector to cut waiting lists across the UK

More than 1,600 patients with suspected lung cancer and around 600 advanced breast cancer patients have had liquid biopsy tests done since April, but the test is now available for all eligible lung and breast cancer patients in NHS hospitals across England.

Featured Image – Karolina Grabowska (via Pexels)