NHS to trial world-first rapid DNA test that can diagnose brain tumours in hours

NHS England will become the first health service in the world to trial a rapid test that can diagnose brain tumours within days — or in some cases less than two hours — instead of the weeks patients currently wait.

The technology uses a computer to scan all of the DNA in a patient’s brain biopsy sample, identifying the exact tumour type and immediately diagnosing or ruling out cancer. More than 100 types of brain tumour exist, making them notoriously difficult to diagnose. At present, clinics must send samples to a lab for examination under a microscope by a human — a process that can take weeks.

Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England’s medical director, said: “For people with suspected brain tumours, getting the right diagnosis quickly can feel like a race against time. Waiting weeks for answers can be agonising for them and their families. This remarkable rapid test has the potential to completely transform how we diagnose brain tumours.”

A faster diagnosis means patients can start the right treatment or access clinical trials sooner. For some patients, surgeons could make potentially life-changing decisions about their surgery while on the operating table.

Nearly 13,000 Britons are diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours every year, and about 80 per cent die within ten years. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called it “an incredible breakthrough in the technology available to tackle brain tumours.”

Sources

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/40483998/brain-tumour-cancer-rapid-genomic-dna-test-nhs-breakthrough/
• https://www.thesun.ie/health/17671129/brain-tumour-cancer-rapid-genomic-dna-test-nhs-breakthrough/
• https://WWW.Sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250520224245.htm (background: Nottingham ROBIN research)