The NHS is piloting a rapid genetic test that can diagnose brain tumours in under two hours, significantly reducing the time patients wait for results and enabling earlier treatment. The novel test uses genomic sequencing to analyze tumour samples taken during biopsy or surgery, providing surgeons with critical information during the operation.

Developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham, the test was recently used to sequence a tumour sample in approximately 20 minutes, with surgeons receiving an initial tumour classification within two hours of the sample arriving at the laboratory. This rapid turnaround is expected to assist surgeons in determining how much of a tumour can be safely removed without harming healthy brain tissue. Additionally, it may accelerate the initiation of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and improve patients’ access to clinical trials that require specific genetic profiles of tumours.

Professor Frankie Swords, NHS medical director, described the technology as a “huge leap forward” that has the potential to transform the diagnosis of brain tumours. Each year, around 13,000 people in the UK receive a brain tumour diagnosis. These cancers are notoriously difficult to treat, with a survival rate of roughly 10% beyond five years, making brain tumours the leading cancer-related cause of death for children and adults under 40.

Brain tumours are diverse, with more than 100 types varying in aggressiveness and treatment response. Currently, the diagnostic pathway involves imaging scans such as MRI and CT, followed by surgical extraction of tumour tissue. Samples are then analyzed by pathology teams under a microscope, a process that can take several weeks to yield a definitive diagnosis.

The NHS pilot builds on successful trials conducted at specialist centers in Nottingham and Birmingham and will initially expand to five additional sites: University Hospitals Birmingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and King’s College Hospital in London. Subsequent phases will include laboratory sites in Bristol, Oxford, Leeds, and Manchester.

One of the first patients to benefit from the rapid sequencing technology was Steve Palmer, 56, from Nottingham, who was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma following a collapse at the gym despite having no prior symptoms. Mr. Palmer said that receiving the diagnosis so quickly alleviated “weeks of anxiety,” despite the challenging news, allowing him to quickly proceed with treatment and recovery.

The NHS anticipates that wider adoption of this test will shorten waiting times for brain tumour patients, enabling swifter clinical decision-making and potentially improving outcomes in a cancer type where time is critical.