Liquid biopsy, a non-invasive method for lung cancer diagnosis, will be introduced to New Brunswick, provincial officials announced Monday.
The new service will be offered to patients who cannot have a tissue biopsy, including those in fragile health or who have tumours in hard-to-reach places.
A normal biopsy removes a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from your body to be tested in a laboratory.
However, a liquid biopsy involves taking blood samples that can be collected near patients’ homes throughout the province, which means no travel or recovery time is needed.
The sample will then be analyzed at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton. The testing will be available to patients under both the Horizon and Vitalité health networks.
“This is an excellent example of collaboration across the public and private sector to bring innovative solutions that can enhance the quality of care for New Brunswick patients with lung cancer,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch.
Health officials reported that New Brunswick ranks among the provinces with the highest lung cancer rates in Canada. Approximately 25 per cent of cancer-related fatalities in the region are attributed to this disease.
Dr. Rodney Ouellette is the medical director of the molecular genetics laboratory at the centre and a founding senior scientist at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.
He said there are very few clinical laboratories across Canada, and none in the Atlantic provinces that have adopted this innovative form of actionable liquid biopsy testing for patients.
“Vitalité Health Network and the institute have been global pioneers in liquid biopsy research and the translation of these technologies to patient care for over 15 years. This leading-edge approach to lung cancer testing will make it easier for patients who have health issues or hard-to-reach tumours to get access to diagnosis and treatment they need when biopsy or surgery are not feasible,” said Ouellette.
The Department of Health will provide up to $175,000 during the 2024-25 fiscal year to implement this technology.
AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, will provide $100,000 to support the development of testing capacity at the centre’s molecular genetics laboratory.
“We are proud to partner with Vitalité Health Network to expand access to more diagnostic testing options for lung cancer patients across the province of New Brunswick,” said Gaby Bourbara, president of AstraZeneca Canada.
“This initiative will help drive greater health equity and improved outcomes for those living with lung cancer. Thank you to the government of New Brunswick for supporting this type of innovative partnership and to ResearchNB for their role in making this collaboration a reality.”
