A simple blood test can detect the onset of a relapse in breast cancer patients
Dr. Yichen Xu is a dedicated oncologist and clinical researcher specializing in advanced therapeutic strategies, medical oncology, and supportive cancer care frameworks. He is an active clinical contributor at the prestigious Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC), one of the leading integrated oncology institutions globally for academic research, education, and comprehensive cancer care.
Dr. Xu’s professional work focuses on precision medicine pathways, including targeted therapies, tumor biomarker analysis, and the mitigation of treatment-induced side effects, such as chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain and cancer-related fatigue. By blending evidence-based clinical insights with patient-centered advocacy, he works to translate complex oncology literature and trial data into actionable, easy-to-understand guidance for patients and their caregivers.
For peer-review collaborations, editorial evaluations, or professional clinical inquiries, you can connect with him directly via email at [email protected].
⚖️ Oncology Review & Disclaimer
This article was authored by Dr. Yichen Xu (Medical Oncology), an oncology staff writer for Healthy Post. The discussion surrounding how a liquid biopsy and a routine blood test can track circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to identify minimal residual disease is intended strictly for educational, informational, and news purposes. It does not constitute formal medical diagnosis, clinical prognosis, or an official oncology treatment plan.
Tracking tumor relapse through biomarkers is a rapidly advancing field, but liquid surveillance must always be cross-examined with physical diagnostics like mammograms, PET-CT imaging, and tissue biopsies under the strict guidance of a primary oncologist. Never delay or disregard professional clinical cancer tracking, treatment cycles, or follow-up evaluations because of data or summaries read on this website.
New data has demonstrated a promising medical technique that detects biological markers in blood test that indicate the risk of relapse in some types of breast cancer, and then suggests preventive treatment, a new indication of the benefits of liquid biopsy.
Circulating tumor DNA
This technique, also called circulating tumor DNA (CTD), monitors cancer progression through a simple blood test rather than a traditional biopsy, which requires more extensive sampling. The blood test specifically detects the presence of DNA produced by tumors in the blood, a vital source of genetic information.
This technology represents a major scientific advance in recent years. Recent data confirms a major potential application: preventing relapses in some women with hormone-dependent breast cancers, the most common type of breast cancer, early and without surgical intervention.
At a press conference, Professor François Clément-Bédard of the Curie Institute said that “a new drug”, Camisestran (from AstraZeneca), but “above all, a new concept,” are the focus of a plenary session at the 61st American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Congress in Chicago and the subject of an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Currently, women with metastatic hormone-dependent breast cancer are generally treat with a combination of drugs: hormone therapy that reduces estrogen production (antaromatase inhibitor) and therapy that prevents cell proliferation (CDK4/6 inhibitor).
But for about 40% of these patients, an important gene for estrogen receptors (ESR1) is mutate, leading to resistance to hormone therapy and eventual relapse.
The new technology promises to detect these mutations in the blood months before they cause new cancer development, allowing hormonal therapy to be combine with a drug that inhibits the cell cycle, ultimately reducing the risk of cancer recurrence.
A French academic trial (PADA-1), led by Professor Bidart, had previously reached this conclusion in the fall of 2022, which also formed the focus of Phase III clinical trials (SERENA-6) of a new drug developed by AstraZeneca.
revolutionary
Of the approximately 3,000 patients monitored with blood tests every two to three months, 315 experienced a mutation in their blood without cancer developing again. They were divide into two groups: a standard group that continued treatment, and an experimental group that received camisestran and a cell cycle inhibitor.
Patients who received this new oral treatment saw their risk of cancer progression reduced by 56%, delaying the first progression of the disease by an average of six months. After 12 months, the progression-free survival rate was 60.7% for patients receiving camisestran, compared to 33.4% for the other patients. After 24 months, the progression-free survival rate was 29.7%, compared to 5.4%, according to a statement from the Curie Institute, which hailed the “revolutionary approach.”
“This is a first for breast cancer, and it can be expand to include more than just this type of cancer,” Bidar, a liquid biopsy specialist, told reporters.
For nearly 15 years, research focused on circulating tumor DNA, which can be obtained from a simple blood sample thanks to advances in molecular biology, has supported thousands of scientific studies and raised hopes for its future applications.
Scientists are seeking to pave the way for more personalized, preventative, but also less surgically invasive medicine for cancer patients.
pharmaceutical industry
In this case, Bidar says, “This is the first time the pharmaceutical industry has recognized the potential of liquid biopsy to obtain regulatory approval for molecules, which suggests that other manufacturers will rush to adopt this new method to initiate treatments.”
As the number of hormone-dependent breast cancer cases continues to rise worldwide, competition is also increasing among pharmaceutical companies to develop and utilize a new generation of hormone therapies.
AstraZeneca, which is increasingly focusing on anti-cancer drugs, has made camisetrant its first-line treatment, a strategy to try to differentiate itself from competitors such as Roche, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly, which are conducting numerous trials of this class of drugs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How can a simple blood test detect a breast cancer relapse?
The blood test—often referred to in medical oncology as a liquid biopsy—works by identifying microscopic fragments of tumor DNA that circulating cancer cells shed into your bloodstream. Even if a tumor is far too small to be seen on a standard hospital scan, this highly sensitive test can detect those tiny genetic traces of the disease.
2. How early can a blood test spot signs of a breast cancer recurrence?
Recent clinical studies show that an advanced circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test can detect signs of a breast cancer relapse an average of 10 to 15 months before a macro-tumor shows up on traditional imaging, such as a mammogram, CT scan, or MRI. This incredible lead time gives oncologists a massive head start in adjusting treatment strategies.
3. Does this blood test replace standard cancer imaging scans like mammograms?
No, the blood test does not replace standard scans. Instead, it is used as a complementary screening tool. While a liquid biopsy is excellent at catching cellular changes at a molecular level, traditional imaging scans remain absolutely essential to pinpoint the exact physical location of a recurrence within the body.
4. Can this blood test tell if a specific breast cancer treatment is working?
Yes. By tracking the levels of circulating tumor DNA in the bloodstream over time, oncologists can monitor how a patient is responding to therapies like chemotherapy or hormone treatment. A drop in ctDNA levels generally indicates that the treatment is successfully destroying cancer cells, while rising levels may suggest the tumor is developing resistance.
5. Is this relapse-detection blood test currently available to all patients?
While ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy technology is advancing rapidly, it is primarily utilized within specialized oncology clinics, active clinical trials, and for specific high-risk breast cancer types. You should speak directly with your primary oncologist to evaluate if ctDNA monitoring or a similar biomarker blood test is appropriate for your specific follow-up care plan.
