New blood test could stop melanoma patients becoming resistant to treatment
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust together with the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre and The University of Manchester has developed a new blood test that can tell doctors precisely how active a patient青瓜视频檚 cancer is at any moment in time.
By carefully monitoring the level of cancer activity in the blood, doctors can identify the best time to start and stop the drugs to give treatment breaks, which it is hoped will prevent resistance to treatment developing and also reduce side effects. This experimental blood test could help people with stage 4 melanoma, a type of skin cancer, live longer.
The ground-breaking approach looks for tiny fragments of DNA coming from the cancer, which can be found in the patient青瓜视频檚 blood.
Dr Rebecca Lee, consultant oncologist and clinician scientist at The Christie and a senior lecturer in Medical Oncology at The University of Manchester is leading on the DyNAMIc trial.She said: 青瓜视频淐ancer treated with targeted therapy can be thought of as two armies of cells; those that are sensitive to the treatment and those that are resistant, which fight for nutrients in order to grow. A patient does not want either cell army to win as that means their cancer will get worse. Although the targeted therapy can kill the sensitive cells, over time the resistant ones grow through. However, if treatment breaks are given, it is thought that the growth of these resistant cells can be suppressed by the sensitive cells.
青瓜视频淭his blood test enables us to develop a new approach to overcome resistance to targeted therapy treatment. The DyNAMIc trial is really at the forefront of precision medicine. We can adapt the treatment in response to the patient青瓜视频檚 melanoma activity levels in real-time and therefore reduce the chance of the cancer becoming resistant in the long term. This could be a real game-changer in how we treat melanoma and other patients with cancer undergoing similar treatments in the future.青瓜视频�
Professor Paul Lorigan, consultant oncologist at The Christie and chief investigator for the DyNAMIc trial said: 青瓜视频淓valuating new biomarker in clinical trials such as DyNAMIc allows us to personalise treatment decisions and continue to improve outcomes for patients with melanoma and other cancers. The close collaboration between The Christie and the National Biomarker Centre has allowed us to take this from concept to clinical trial. The study is now open in ten centres in the UK, led by the Manchester team. This would not be possible without support from the patients and their families, The Christie and The Christie Charity, Jon Moulton Charity Trust, Cancer Research UK and many other colleagues.青瓜视频�
Dr Dominic Rothwell, the Deputy Director of the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre and one of the team who helped develop the test said: 青瓜视频淭he DyNAMIc trial is a great example of how cutting-edge research, funded by the Jon Moulton Charity Trust and CRUK can lead to the development of exciting new tests and how, in close collaboration with our clinical colleagues, these tests can be transferred to the clinic and lead to the potential improvement of treatments for cancer patients.青瓜视频�
The first patient to join this clinical trial was a supermarket worker from Stockport in Greater Manchester. Jan Smith (64) had been working on the shop floor at her local superstore in November 2022 when she started to experience severe pain and was rushed to A&E. A scan revealed kidney stones which doctors were able to treat successfully. However, the scan also showed a shadow near her left kidney which was far more serious. It was a 12-inch-deep mass around her adrenal gland at the top of her kidney and a biopsy confirmed she had stage 4 (the most advanced stage) melanoma in December 2022.
This blood test enables us to develop a new approach to overcome resistance to targeted therapy treatment. The DyNAMIc trial is really at the forefront of precision medicine. We can adapt the treatment in response to the patient青瓜视频檚 melanoma activity levels in real-time and therefore reduce the chance of the cancer becoming resistant in the long term. This could be a real game-changer in how we treat melanoma and other patients with cancer undergoing similar treatments in the future
The self-confessed 青瓜视频榗razy cat lady青瓜视频�, who shares her home with five much-loved moggies, was referred to The Christie.
青瓜视频淚 hadn青瓜视频檛 had any symptoms and never take time off sick at work. The pain I had with the kidney stones was unbelievable. Like nothing I青瓜视频檇 known before. But in a strange way they saved my life.青瓜视频� Jan explained: 青瓜视频淚t was good news to be told that they had managed to clear the stones but a real shock to discover I had cancer. My local hospital said they couldn青瓜视频檛 remove the tumour as it was too big, so I was referred to The Christie for more specialist treatment.青瓜视频�
In January 2023 Jan began a course of immunotherapy, which uses the body青瓜视频檚 own immune system to fight the cancer. Unfortunately, within weeks her condition worsened, and she developed speech difficulties and weakness on one side of her body. Jan was given the devastating news that she had developed two brain tumours and needed emergency life-saving surgery to remove part of the tumour in the right side of her head.
Unfortunately a scan in October 2024 found a new growth near Jan青瓜视频檚 liver so she was offered the chance to participate in research at the ) at in Manchester. Jan was told in the November she was eligible for DyNAMIc, a clinical trial which aims to improve how well the treatment works for patients whose melanoma can青瓜视频檛 be removed by surgery or has spread.
Jan was prescribed two targeted drugs, encorafenib and binimetinib which is an approved treatment in patients with melanoma. They suppress a protein called BRAF, which causes melanoma cells to survive and grow. Around half of people with melanoma have a BRAF mutation which can become overactive.
These drugs stop the cancer growing and can shrink the tumour by killing off the cells with the abnormal gene. But the cancer can fight back and develop more changes and become resistant to the treatment. Therefore, a sensitive blood test which precisely measures the amount of circulating DNA from the cancer enabling treatment can be turned on and off as required could be very beneficial to patients.
Talking about her experience of being on the clinical trial, Jan Smith said: 青瓜视频淭his has been quite a journey with one thing after another, and my battle with cancer is certainly not over yet. Despite numerous setbacks and changing treatments, I青瓜视频檝e tried to always stay positive and I青瓜视频檓 glad to be benefiting from this trial.
青瓜视频淚 am pleased to take part in research. If we don青瓜视频檛 try new treatments, then we青瓜视频檒l not get the answers and make the medical advancements we need.青瓜视频�
The DyNAMIc study is open for recruitment with the aim of recruiting 40 participants. The trial is funded by the Jon Moulton Charity Trust, sponsored by The Christie and run by the Liverpool Clinical Trials Centre.
According to Cancer Research UK, new treatments for melanoma have improved outcomes in recent years. Around half of people with stage 4 melanoma can now survive for 10 years or more.
Dr Rebecca Lee is a senior lecturer in Medical Oncology at The University of Manchester and her post at The Christie is funded by .
Any patients interested in taking part in clinical trials should discuss this option with their consultant or GP. Not all patients will fit the criteria for a specific trial. While clinical trials can be successful for some patients, outcomes can vary from case to case. More information about taking part in clinical trials can be found .