Early Detection Of Brain Tumors Using Liquid Biopsy

If we discover different symptoms, it is important that we consult a specialist and have relevant examinations carried out in order to receive an early diagnosis.

More than a million brain tumors are diagnosed worldwide each year . It is estimated that these are responsible for 2% of all recorded deaths from cancer, accounting for approximately 100,000 deaths.

Based on the data we have, the average lifespan after a diagnosis of a brain tumor in countries such as the USA is between 3 and 27 months once metastases spread in the body.

This type of tumor is 10 times more prone to spreading to other important organs, which in many patients means that they do not respond or not sufficiently to treatment.

Brain tumors: liquid biopsy helps diagnose

A research team from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona (Spain) has developed a liquid biopsy for the first time that allows brain tumors to be detected using cerebrospinal fluid (a substance that supplies and nourishes our central nervous system).

The scientific journal Nature Communications  published this discovery, which is revolutionizing the detection and diagnosis of brain tumors.

A lumbar puncture is sufficient to determine the possible stage of brain tumors instead of performing an invasive biopsy in the gray cells.

This is possible because, according to Joan Seoane, director of the lead research team, “the concentration of circulating tumor genetic material in cancer in the central nervous system is low in plasma but very high in cerebrospinal fluid”.

The study hypothesis

While this method of liquid biopsy has been used on spreading colon cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer, it has not yet been used successfully on brain tumors.

The main reason for this is that the DNA of the tumor in this type of disease has a very low level of plasma.

But the research team has indicated that the central nervous system has its own closed circuit of fluids that surrounds the bone marrow and the brain. The spinal cord-brain fluid could therefore be an important indicator of brain tumors for the simple reason that it is in direct contact with them.

The techniques used in current diagnoses are very risky. S he ask to pierce the skull and an “indefinite brain zone” to be able to extract cancerous tissue .

For this reason, the discovery of liquid biopsy for the detection and treatment of brain tumors represents a major scientific advance.

Alarm signals that make it imperative to see a doctor

It should be emphasized that we must pay our full attention to certain signals. Because they can be indicators that something is wrong with our brain.

So, the first thing we need to know about the symptoms of brain tumors. These can be of a general nature (caused by the pressure of the tumor in the brain or on the spinal cord) or of a specific nature (caused by the interruption of normal functions of the brain or spinal cord).

It is not common for brain tumors to be diagnosed before symptoms appear. We must therefore consult our doctor immediately if any of the following signs or symptoms combine or appear individually:

General symptoms

• Persistent headache that is strongest early in the morning or when tense.
• Mood swings that cannot be specified, pronounced emotional instability, emotional indifference, slow thinking. Difficulty dealing with problems that one is actually familiar with.
• Signs of intracranial hypertension (numbness, blurred vision, impaired consciousness, etc.)

Specific symptoms that depend on where the tumor is located:

• Partial epilepsy
• Motor disorders (temporary or partial paralysis)
• Aphasia (problems with generating speech)
• Apraxia (difficulty making arbitrary, purposeful and purposeful movements)
• Agnosia (objects are perceived but cannot be linked to their purpose)
• Changes in perimetry (field of view)

NOTE: This is not to say that these symptoms are synonymous with a brain tumor. They are to be understood as alarm signals that require medical advice to be obtained as soon as possible.

These types of tumors are usually treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Let’s not be fooled: at the slightest sign, we need to see our doctor and let him know how we are feeling.

Life can be at stake and if it was false positives we can go home with peace of mind. But if a tumor is really present, early detection can quickly begin with the appropriate treatment.