Liquid biopsy for lung and breast cancers now available across the NHS in England

Source: BMJ, 2 June 2025

A blood test which speeds up cancer diagnosis by two weeks and can help patients with suspected lung and breast cancer receive targeted treatment is now available across the NHS in England.

The circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) test will be used before traditional tissue biopsies in a “blood test first approach,” NHS England said. The NHS will be the first national healthcare service in the world to offer liquid biopsy testing routinely.

Up to 15 000 patients with suspected lung cancer could benefit from the test each year, NHS England estimates. Since April more than 1600 patients have already been tested. The NHS is also now offering the test to patients with advanced breast cancer whose cancer has not responded to previous treatment to determine if they are eligible for targeted treatments.