Key points from article :
Cancer patients in England will be offered a new blood test to prevent side effects.
Blood test will detect if they are genetically prone to experiencing serious effects of chemotherapy drugs.
Approximately 38,000 people start chemotherapy treatment with fluoropyrimidines each year.
40% may have severe reactions with 1% of toxicities proving fatal.
Test tells patients if they can have side-effects like vomiting, diarrhoea, breathlessness & skin reactions.
Allows them to opt for a different method of tackling tumours.
“This approach will help develop personalised treatments for other conditions and embed genomics into routine care.” - Prof Dame Sue Hill.
Works by detecting variants within a specific gene, known as DPYD.
Variants producing lower level of the enzyme needed to break down cancer drugs lead to toxicity.
Rolled out across the country by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
