Daijiworld Media Network - London
London, Dec 17: In a major breakthrough that could transform cancer diagnosis, a team of researchers from the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), Keele University and Loughborough University has developed a groundbreaking blood test capable of detecting even a single lung cancer cell in a patient’s bloodstream.
According to an official statement from Loughborough University, the new technique — known as Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy — has successfully demonstrated the ability to identify individual cancer cells within blood samples.
Professor Josep Sulé-Suso, Associate Specialist in Oncology at UHNM and lead author of the study, said the team combined advanced infrared scanning technology with sophisticated computer analysis to focus on the unique chemical “fingerprint” of cancer cells.
“Our team was able to detect a single lung cancer cell in a patient’s blood by analysing its distinctive chemical signature,” Prof Sulé-Suso said. “This approach has the potential to help patients receive earlier diagnoses, more personalised treatments and fewer invasive procedures. In the future, it could be applied to many types of cancer beyond lung cancer.”
The test focuses on circulating tumour cells (CTCs) — cancer cells that break away from a primary tumour and travel through the bloodstream. Although extremely rare and difficult to detect, CTCs provide critical information about how cancer is progressing, whether treatment is effective and the likelihood of the disease spreading.
Currently, most methods used to identify CTCs are expensive, complex and time-consuming. Additionally, as these cells can change while moving through the blood, many tests fail to detect them reliably.
The newly developed method offers a simpler and faster alternative. Researchers expose blood samples to powerful infrared light, which interacts differently with various substances. Cancer cells absorb the light in a distinct pattern, creating a unique chemical signature. Using computer-based analysis, scientists can quickly identify the presence of cancer cells within the sample.
For the study, a blood sample taken from a 77-year-old lung cancer patient at UHNM was analysed. Using the FT-IR technique, researchers were able to pinpoint a single cancer cell among thousands of healthy blood cells. The result was independently verified through specialist testing.
The researchers believe this innovation could significantly improve early cancer detection and patient outcomes. The findings of the study have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Spectroscopy.