A blood test which could help to accelerate the diagnosis of brain cancer has been developed.
The technology uses infrared light to produce a bio-signature of a blood sample and applies artificial intelligence to check for the signs of cancer.
Matthew J Baker, who led the study, said: “This is the first publication of data from our clinical feasibility study and it is the first demonstration that our blood test works in the clinic.
“Earlier detection of brain tumours in the diagnostic pathway brings the potential to significantly improve patient quality of life and survival, while also providing savings to the health services.”
The scientists analysed samples from a prospective cohort of 104 patients, they found that the blood test could distinguish patients with brain cancer from healthy individuals correctly 87% of the time.
The results suggest that the approach may be useful in helping to prioritise patients needing brain scans in order to diagnose tumours.
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