Liquid biopsies

For children with rhabdomyosarcoma, assessing response to treatment and whether they remain in remission requires regular imaging such as MRI. In some types of cancer, but not rhabdomyosarcoma, it has been shown to be clinically useful to assess abnormal DNA released from a cancer into the blood stream. This technique is referred to as “liquid biopsy” and aims at finding cancerous cells in the blood, as opposed to removal done through a surgical procedure.

The ultimate goal of this study was to validate the usefulness of the liquid biopsy technique which would allow patients with rhabdomyosarcoma to be followed with simple blood tests instead of MRIs. This technique would also allow to improve the therapeutic follow-up of patients if resistance to treatment or relapse can be detected earlier, and lead to a swifter adaptation of the treatment.

This KickCancer-funded study validated the relevance of the concept of correlation between the amount of rhabdomyosarcoma specific DNA found in the blood and the quality of the response of said patients to their treatment.

Results of the study have supported protocols supported the need to further collect plasma in the next international clinical trial for rhabdomyosarcoma patients – FaR-RMS (Frontline and Relapse -Rhabdomyosarcoma). Furthermore, Bayer is currently considering funding liquid biopsies in this new trial.

This project was selected thanks to a partnership with ITCC through an open call for projects. Nine European projects applied and were reviewed by four American renowned experts. KickCancer chose the two best projects, including this one.

This study was conducted by the Institute of Cancer Research (London, United Kingdom) and combined expertise with a limited number of blood samples previously collected from rhabdomyosarcoma patients in different laboratories across Europe and compared those samples to the clinical data of each concerned patient.

This project is a wonderful example of intra-European collaboration as it will involve laboratories from the following countries: France, UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands.