“We are giving (oncologists) a tool that allows them to make an informed decision that ultimately leads to a better outcome and a higher quality of life for patients."
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It is called a liquid biopsy and researchers in Kingston say they believe the blood test they have developed can save breast cancer patients from unnecessary tests and treatment while allowing doctors to find the most effective therapy more quickly.
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Researchers are planning to enrol patients in Ottawa and Kingston with metastatic breast cancer (which has spread from its original site) as part of an ongoing clinical trial to measure the efficacy of the blood test.
If approved, the test could both extend the lives of metastatic breast cancer patients and improve their quality of life, says Irsa Wiginton, the Kingston-based researcher who won an award from Mitacs, a non-profit Canadian research organization that aims to build partnerships among academics, industry and governments, for the work.
Oncologists currently use CT scans to determine whether specific treatments for metastatic breast cancer are working. The scans, which deliver significantly more radiation than X-rays, are used sparingly, meaning patients and oncologists wait around three months after a treatment has begun to see if it is working. It can take up to 18 or 24 months to cycle through available treatments and find the best one for individual patients.
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The minimally invasive blood test, on the other hand, could be used just weeks after a treatment has begun, Wiginton says, allowing oncologists to more quickly shift gears to find the most effective treatments for their patients, preventing months of being on harsh therapies that don’t work.
“Unfortunately, people with metastatic breast cancer don’t have a good prognosis … so there is no time to waste when it comes to determining their most effective course of treatment,” she says.
“We are giving (oncologists) a tool that allows them to make an informed decision that ultimately leads to a better outcome and a higher quality of life for patients.”
Oncologists have been asking for something like this test, says Chris Mueller, senior scientist and professor at the Cancer Research Institute at Queen’s University and principal investigator in the Queen’s lab that developed the test. He is president and founder of mDetect, the company created to market the test. Wiginton, a post-doctoral researcher, is the company’s business development officer.
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Mueller says the test offers great potential.
“(Oncologists) are really very blind to what they are doing. It takes a long time to get results from CT scans,” he says. “You don’t want to wait three months on a drug that is doing you no good and has toxic side effects.”
Researchers are hoping 150 patients from Kingston and The Ottawa Hospital will participate in the clinical trial, which could take three years. Oncologists will help enrol patients who are a good fit for the research. Mueller says researchers should have a good indication of how well the test works, compared to CT scans, before that.
The test measures DNA in blood that indicates whether metastatic breast cancer is growing or shrinking.
The development of so-called liquid biopsies is an expanding field, Mueller says, including for monitoring lung cancer.
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If the clinical trial findings are positive, the next challenge will be getting approval for its use in hospitals and finding a way to get the company marketing the test reimbursed. A clear system to do so doesn’t currently exist in Canada, Mueller says.
Already, he says, its potential benefits are clear.
“I think one of the big things is that we are really going to reduce the side-effects that women are experiencing. If we can do that, they are going to have a better quality of life.”
Wiginton is one of five winners of the Mitacs Entrepreneur award who are recognized for their efforts to turn their research into an innovative business that helps Canadians.
That support helped Wiginton, a scientist, learn skills required to be an entrepreneur, she says.
Simple blood test could transform treatment for advanced breast cancer - Ottawa Citizen
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