Roche has launched a blood test that can identify 70 of the most commonly mutated genes in solid tumours, as the company seeks to make more personalised medicines.
The test known as FoundationOne Liquid can identify circulating tumour DNA in the blood of people living with cancer and identify the genes including microsatellite instability, a genomic signature that can help inform decisions about treatments based on cancer immunotherapy.
FoundationOne Liquid complements Roche’s FoundationOne CDx, a tissue-based genomic profiling test launched in the US earlier this year, as part of a portfolio of genomic tests.
While Roche has used circulating tumour DNA released by tumours into the bloodstream as they grow to test cancers that doctors have already spotted, the hope is that the technology could be used to screen for cancer before symptoms have appeared.
