Dxcover breaks new ground in search for higher brain cancer survival rates
New research shows a clear association between brain tumour size and mortality, with earlier diagnosis linked to improved survival outcomes.
The findings suggest that detecting brain cancer just one month earlier could reduce annual mortality risk by 18–28 per cent.
Clinical-stage diagnostics company Dxcover Limited analysed records from 1,196 patients to evaluate how tumour size at diagnosis affects patient outcomes.
Dr Ewan Gray, head of health economic and outcomes data at Dxcover, presented the findings at the Ca-PRI conference in Manchester, while Dr James Cameron, clinical program manager, shared the data at AACR in Chicago.
Professor Paul Brennan, professor of clinical and experimental neurosurgery at the University of Edinburgh and an author on the study, said: “Prioritising people with symptoms of a possible brain tumour for urgent brain imaging does matter.
“These new data make it clear that identifying tumours when they are smaller benefits patients, reducing the duration of time in hospital, and increasing survival times. I hope these findings will encourage clinicians and health care organisations to implement strategies to help diagnose brain tumours at the earliest stages, so that appropriate therapy can be initiated as quickly as possible.
The retrospective cohort study revealed that earlier diagnosis—by just one month—could increase one-year survival rates from 30 per cent to between 37–42 per cent. Long-term survival (three years or more) could also improve from 3 per cent to between 5–8 per cent.
It could also reduce hospital stays from approximately 35.1 to between 30.6–32.5 days, potentially lowering healthcare costs by £1,300–2,200 per patient.
Dxcover’s PANAROMIC™ platform uses multiomic spectral analysis, examining blood samples with infrared spectroscopy combined with AI algorithms to detect disease earlier than standard methods.
Cameron Miller, director of external affairs and strategy at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “There are 130 different types of brain tumours, and treatment can vary depending on where they are situated and on whether the tumour is high grade or low grade, and within those different forms of brain tumours.
“Diagnosing a brain tumour and its status early in the development of the disease is essential for ensuring patients receive timely care that is optimised for their specific tumour type. This Real-World Evidence study is timely, because if we can demonstrate that faster diagnosis will save the NHS money by reducing the number of inpatient bed days, while also potentially reducing mortality, we can build a clear case for investment in new approaches to diagnosis.”
The study also identified a statistically significant reduction in 30-day mortality for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a fast-growing and aggressive form of brain cancer.
Professor Matthew J. Baker, co-founder, CEO and president of Dxcover, said: “The data presented today underscore the potential of our PANAROMIC™ liquid biopsy platform to improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer.
“The ability to detect tumours earlier can enable the development of novel treatments that would not be feasible with current diagnostic paradigms. Our approach provides a practical and accessible test for the detection of brain cancer earlier, when tumours are smaller, and the data presented today suggest that it could be a game-changer for improving brain cancer outcomes,” Professor Baker added.
The company’s patented blood analysis method uses smaller sample volumes than traditional tests and is non-invasive, allowing for high-throughput screening. Dxcover has demonstrated the technology’s applicability across several cancer types, including brain, colorectal, pancreatic, kidney, ovary, and prostate cancers.
