Low cost, safe and accurate test could help diagnose rare childhood cancers

A non-invasive, low cost blood test that could help doctors diagnose some types of malignant childhood tumour has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Health NHS Foundation Trust. At the moment, we are not good enough at diagnosing these tumours and monitoring their treatment: we need better, safer and more cost-effective tests - Nick Coleman Reported today in the British Journal of Cancer, the test could enable doctors to monitor the effectiveness of treatments without exposing patients to repeated doses of radiation. The target of the test is a type of cancer known as germ cell cancer. Germ cells are those cells in the body that go on to develop into sperm and egg cells. Germ cells can develop into tumours - both benign and malignant - particularly in the testes or ovaries, where the cells are normally found. However, occasionally germ cells can get trapped in the wrong part of the body during development and may later turn into brain tumours, for example. The five year disease-free and overall survival rates for patients with high-risk malignant germ cell tumours remains less than 50%, and so accurate diagnosis and monitoring is crucial to improving outcomes for patients.