A simple blood test could be on the way to replace biopsy as the gold standard for detecting cancer-saving lives and money. Findings on the revolutionary new treatment were presented this week at the annual World Conference on Lung Cancer in Colorado by Eric Lim, consultant thoracic surgeon at Royal Brompton & Harefield National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust. Biopsy has hitherto been the most reliable way to establish the presence of cancerous cells, but it is an invasive, costly and sometimes risky procedure.
It also takes time, which cancer patients cannot afford to lose. The ground-breaking blood test would alleviate pressure on patients and health care providers by offering a quick, nonintrusive alternative, which would cost hundreds rather than thousands of dollars per patient. According to Lim, who led the trial, patients would have the results "within days." Biopsies…
