Latest news with #RebecaProctor
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'I know my lung cancer is terminal but I don't feel ill'
A woman who was diagnosed with terminal cancer has praised the blood test which allowed her to get treatment sooner. Rebeca Proctor, 41, from Carlisle, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small-cell lung cancer in the time she was part of a pilot study looking at whether a blood test could be used to determine the genetic variant of a cancer quicker than a typical said the blood test, also known as a liquid biopsy, had "saved her life". A liquid biopsy can detect tiny fragments of tumour DNA which circulate in the blood. This can help doctors figure out a cancer's specific genetic knowing this, a more personalised treatment can be offered, Prof Alastair Greystoke at Newcastle Hospitals suffering from breathlessness for months and going back and forth to the GP, Ms Proctor had an X-ray and CT scan which revealed she had cancer."It was in my lungs, it was my spine, my hips, my lymph nodes," she said. "It was scary." She was at hospital taking part in a pilot for patients with suspected lung cancer which was looking at the effectiveness of a liquid biopsy in these cases. The blood test confirmed the genetic variant of Ms Proctor's cancer 10 days before a typical tissue biopsy. It meant she could be started on the treatment best tailored to her cancer far sooner."My oncologist said if I wasn't started on the treatment I would have had weeks to a month left [to live]," she said. "I wasn't ready for that." 'Got my life back' Since starting Brigatinib in January, a drug tailored to the genetic variant of her advanced non-small cell lung cancer, Ms Proctor said she has been able to live a normal life again even though she still had a terminal diagnosis. She said she started feeling better about a week or so after taking the medication which she continues to take. "It's given me my life back which I hadn't had for months," she has four children, including a three and six-year-old."My health's back and I can do all the things I can do with the kids now," she said."It sounds silly but I know I'm terminal but I don't feel ill."NHS England announced last month that following the liquid biopsy pilot, the blood tests had been rolled out across the country for suspected lung cancer and advanced breast cancer said it would help reduce the time taken for people to access targeted therapies and reduce unnecessary treatment such as standard chemotherapy. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Carlisle Mum gets earlier cancer treatment thanks to 'revolutionary' blood test
A mother-of-two from Carlisle says she has been given her life back after receiving targeted cancer treatment. Rebeca Proctor, 41, from Carlisle, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small-cell lung cancer in January. She was able to begin treatment earlier thanks to a new NHS liquid biopsy blood test, which identified a specific genetic mutation. Ms Proctor said: "When I found out I had stage 4 cancer it felt like I'd been punched in the gut, I was scared – I just thought about my children, and if I would get to see my little girl start nursery, and how I would explain my diagnosis to my children – it was just heart-breaking to think about. "But the medication has given me my life back and my kids have got their mum back. "I'm taking it day by day and for now the treatment is doing what it's meant to be doing and shrinking the tumour, and I've got my energy back. "I know I'm not going to be cured but I've come to terms with my diagnosis and the pills are stopping my cancer cells from spreading – we'll keep fighting this and dealing with what's been thrown at us." The liquid biopsy revealed she had an ALK genetic mutation, allowing her to start a targeted therapy, brigatinib. A traditional tissue biopsy confirmed the result around 10 days later. Ms Proctor is under the care of Dr Sally Hall, a consultant medical oncologist at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in North Cumbria. The new blood test, now available across the NHS in England, detects fragments of tumour DNA in the bloodstream. It identifies genetic mutations that can guide personalised cancer treatment. NHS England recently announced that up to 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer could benefit from the test each year. An NHS pilot found that lung cancer patients could start targeted treatment up to 16 days sooner using the liquid biopsy compared to standard tissue biopsies. The pilot also showed that some patients were able to avoid unnecessary chemotherapy and its side effects, improving their quality of life. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: "Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care and it's fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country. "Cutting-edge genomic testing is helping us deliver more targeted and kinder care for patients, enabling some to avoid more intensive treatments such as further chemotherapy, which can have a huge impact." Professor Alastair Greystoke, co-clinical lead of the ctDNA pilot and honorary medical oncologist at Newcastle Hospitals, said: "This is the first ever national implementation of a 'liquid biopsy first' approach to the diagnosis and treatment of a cancer." "Not only has it led to faster and more precise treatment for patients with lung cancer, but we have also been able to show that this is a cost-effective measure for the NHS and set up the framework to evaluate this in other cancers going forward." Professor Dame Sue Hill, chief scientific officer for England, said: "This represents a real step-change in care for eligible lung and breast cancer patients on the NHS. "The liquid biopsy testing enables genomic mutations in the fragments of cancer that enter the bloodstream of these patients to be detected. "This testing is transforming care and helping clinicians match patients earlier, especially when cancer tissue may not be available, with potentially life-extending targeted therapies rapidly and with greater precision."
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
New world-first blood test to transform cancer treatment
The NHS in England is rolling out a new blood test (liquid biopsy) for lung cancer patients to speed up access to targeted treatments and avoid unnecessary biopsies, benefiting approximately 15,000 patients annually. The liquid biopsy detects tumour DNA mutations from a blood sample, allowing for faster access to therapies tailored to the genetic profile of the disease; a pilot scheme showed treatment decisions were made 16 days faster compared to tissue biopsies. The NHS will also use the test for breast cancer patients to check for a wider range of genetic variants, potentially benefiting 5,000 women a year, and is exploring its use for other cancers like pancreatic and gallbladder cancer. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, hailed liquid biopsies as ushering in a new era of personalised cancer care, while Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the new testing will "give thousands of people peace of mind". Rebeca Proctor, a stage 4 lung cancer patient, benefited from the liquid biopsy by receiving targeted treatment (brigatinib) after it revealed an ALK genetic mutation, giving her "her life back".
Sky News
30-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
New blood test to 'revolutionise' NHS cancer treatment
A new ultra-sensitive blood test which can detect tiny fragments of tumour DNA could be "revolutionary" for NHS patients. Thousands of patients will be offered liquid biopsies, which can help fast-track lung cancer patients to receive targeted treatments. Tissue biopsies are used to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer and samples can be sent for genomic testing. But liquid biopsies allow for results much faster, and can show patients if they have mutations. Rebeca Proctor, 41, was treated a suspected chest infection last December. After she began coughing up blood, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer - which she called a "punch to the gut". "I was scared - I just thought about my children, and if I would get to see my little girl start nursery, and how I would explain my diagnosis to my children - it was just heartbreaking to think about," the mother of four from Carlisle said. A liquid biopsy showed she had an ALK genetic mutation of her non-small-cell lung cancer. A tissue biopsy took ten days longer to confirm the same result, but in the meantime she could begin a targeted treatment. New medication has "given me my life back", she says. "I'm taking it day-by-day and for now the treatment is doing what it's meant to be doing and shrinking the tumour, and I've got my energy back," she said. "I know I'm not going to be cured but I've come to terms with my diagnosis and the pills are stopping my cancer cells from spreading - we'll keep fighting this and dealing with what's been thrown at us." Breast and lung cancers are two of the most common in England - around 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of them each year. Potential to 'scan' the body in a single blood test NHS England will become the first health service in the world to roll-out a "blood-test first" approach to diagnosing lung cancer, and it follows a successful pilot of the testing last year. Up to 15,000 patients could benefit. The NHS has also said it is expanding testing in advanced breast cancer, with several genetic variations now being screened for. It could save the health service up to £11m per year in lung cancer care. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said it would enable patients to receive "more targeted and kinder care", as it would enable some to avoid more intensive treatments - such as chemotherapy - in place of a more targeted approach. "Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care and it's fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country," he said. Liquid biopsies, he added, have the potential to "scan" the body in a single blood test. Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for England, said: "This testing is transforming care and helping clinicians match patients earlier especially when cancer tissue may not be available with potentially life-extending targeted therapies rapidly and with greater precision." The health secretary called it an "incredibly exciting new test" that could save countless lives. "It is just the latest example of this government combining the compassionate care of our National Health Service with the ingenuity of Britain's leading scientific minds to revolutionise cancer care," Wes Streeting said.
