Offering a combination of genetic tests to people with a \u201cvery complex\u201d blood cancer could accurately predict if the disease is likely to come back within 18 months of treatment, a study has found.<\/p>\n
The method picks up \u201chidden risks\u201d that traditional tests may miss, and could potentially benefit thousands of people in the UK with multiple myeloma, researchers said.<\/p>\n
Multiple myeloma happens when the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells, known as plasma cells, causing symptoms such as bone pain, headaches and muscle weakness.<\/p>\n
It affects around 33,000 people in the UK, with about 6,300 new cases every year.<\/p>\n
The disease is considered incurable, and while there are treatments that puts the cancer into remission, many patients relapse, usually within 18 months.<\/p>\n
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) suggest offering traditional DNA tests alongside new RNA gene expression tests could detect patients who are at risk of early relapse.<\/p>\n
DNA profiling is currently being used in specialist cancer centres and clinical trials.<\/p>\n
It looks for genetic mutations in myeloma cells, which can determine how aggressive the disease is.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the newer gene expression tests check how active certain genes are in cancer cells by measuring RNA, a type of molecule that carries instructions from DNA to make proteins.<\/p>\n
Both tests are usually done using bone marrow samples.<\/p>\n
Martin Kaiser, a professor in molecular haematology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: \u201cMultiple myeloma is a very complex disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile current treatments can work very well for many patients, there are others who do not respond well and may relapse early.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome patients relapse early after treatment, even though they didn\u2019t show any known high-risk signs at diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study, published in the journal Blood, looked at data from 135 patients who took part in the MyelomaXI clinical trial.<\/p>\n
All had the same treatment, along with detailed genetic testing.<\/p>\n
The patients were tracked for seven years, and cancer returned in 18.5% within 18 months of having a stem cell transplant.<\/p>\n
Researchers suggest combining the two genetic tests would have predicted 84% of these early relapses.<\/p>\n
Prof Kaiser added: \u201cOur findings show that RNA-based testing can uncover hidden risks in multiple myeloma that DNA tests alone miss.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy combining DNA profiling with RNA-based testing, we could change how we diagnose and treat the disease, allowing us to personalise care and intervene earlier for patients at greatest risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, estimates early relapse \u201caffects thousands\u201d of patients in the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis exciting discovery marks a major advance in our ability to identify and treat high-risk multiple myeloma more effectively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy combining DNA and RNA testing, our researchers have created a far more accurate method of predicting early relapse in this disease, which affects thousands in the UK and many more globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a powerful example of how precision diagnostics can transform patient care.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarlier and more reliable identification of high-risk patients allows clinicians to tailor treatment plans from the outset, with the potential to improve both survival and quality of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also enables more efficient use of healthcare resources, ensuring that the right patients receive the right treatments at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shelagh McKinlay, director of research and advocacy at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, which helped fund the study, said: \u201cWe believe that advanced genetic testing has the power to be transformative in the treatment of myeloma.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy pinpointing which patients are most likely to relapse and stop responding to currently available drugs, we can improve the lives of thousands of people affected by this incurable cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a critical factor in delivering a functional cure, a key pillar of the Myeloma UK research strategy. Professor Kaiser\u2019s research is a major step in bringing forward truly personalised treatment and care for people with myeloma, and we\u2019re immensely proud to be funding this work.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2026, the Royal Marsden hospital in London will become the first in the UK to offer a gene expression profiling test to multiple myeloma patients.<\/p>\n
It is hoped it will allow medics to better understand how cancer cells are behaving before planning treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Offering a combination of genetic tests to people with a \u201cvery complex\u201d blood cancer could accurately predict if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[63776,49,48,7714,39373,91809,12212,101606,316,101607,63775,101610,66,101608,101609],"class_list":["post-208546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-genetics","tag-blood-cancer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cancer","tag-cancer-cells","tag-dna-tests","tag-genetic-testing","tag-genetic-tests","tag-genetics","tag-institute-of-cancer-research","tag-multiple-myeloma","tag-relapse","tag-science","tag-traditional-tests","tag-white-blood-cells"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}