NHS Trial Uses Rapid DNA Test to Classify Brain Tumours Sooner
NHS England is piloting a rapid genomic test developed at the University of Nottingham to diagnose brain tumours more quickly. The test combines Oxford Nanopore sequencing with a software tool called ROBIN to examine specific DNA regions and methylation patterns in real time. In initial results, it correctly classified 90 percent of tumour samples, potentially cutting waits from weeks to hours or days.
Each year roughly 12,000 UK patients are affected by brain tumours, which comprise more than 100 distinct forms. Some grow slowly, others aggressively, and each has a different genetic profile. Diagnosis traditionally relies on a surgical sample sent for laboratory analysis, often leaving patients waiting weeks for treatment decisions.
The Nottingham-developed method pairs Oxford Nanopore sequencing with ROBIN, a program that interprets relevant DNA regions and methylation signals as data arrive. It classified nine in ten samples correctly. An NHS replication found diagnoses possible about 1.4 days after surgery. A pilot will run at five centres across Nottingham, Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
For patients and families, faster classification could reduce uncertainty and allow treatment planning sooner, particularly for aggressive tumours. Clinicians may gain more timely genomic information, though the pilot's real-world accuracy, cost and workflow effects remain to be seen. If scaled, it may ease some diagnostic delays, but access could depend on rollout beyond initial centres.