Scientists have tested a new blood test that may help doctors identify when prostate cancer treatment is starting to fail, according to a study led by University College London.
The research could support more personalised treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer by detecting signs of continued tumour growth through small fragments of cancer DNA found in the blood.
The study examined whether circulating tumour DNA could help monitor treatment response in patients recently diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Researchers said the approach may help doctors identify higher-risk patients earlier and adjust treatment decisions more effectively.
Study involved patients across UK NHS centres
The research was carried out at 14 NHS centres in the United Kingdom and included 117 men who had recently been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
Researchers found that six to 12 weeks after treatment began, tumour DNA was still clearly detectable in the blood of about three in 10 patients.
The findings suggest that the presence of tumour DNA after treatment begins may be an important signal that the cancer is continuing to grow despite therapy.
DNA test combined with PSA levels
The study found that the blood test was most useful when assessed alongside prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, levels, which are commonly used to monitor prostate cancer.
When tumour DNA results were combined with PSA levels, researchers were able to identify men whose risk of death was 20 times higher than patients who had no detectable tumour DNA and low PSA levels.
Researchers said the findings could help guide future treatment decisions, although further testing and clinical validation would be needed before the blood test could become part of routine care.
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