A groundbreaking diagnostic test developed by scientists in the UK can dramatically reduce the time patients wait to find out what type of brain tumour they have. Traditionally, patients endure a wait of six to eight weeks for results, often delaying critical treatment decisions. This new method, however, delivers detailed results in under two hours, offering the potential to transform the clinical approach to brain cancer care.
Developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the tool—named Robin (Rapid Nanopore Brain Intraoperative Classification)—analyzes tumour DNA using portable sequencing technology from Oxford Nanopore Technologies. The Robin method enables high-depth sequencing of specific DNA regions, dramatically improving speed, accuracy, and cost-efficiency.
The team tested the method on 50 patients and reported that the results aligned with current standard diagnostic procedures in 90% of cases. It is not only faster than conventional methods, which require samples to be sent off-site for analysis, but also has the potential to impact decision-making during surgery. Neurosurgeons can receive tumour classification in real-time, helping guide surgical strategies on the spot.
Professor Matt Loose, who led the development of the sequencing process, highlighted the advantages of the new tool, noting that it is faster, cheaper, and more precise than existing methods. Neurosurgeon Dr. Stuart Smith emphasized the significance for surgical teams, saying that having diagnostic information available during surgery allows for more informed decisions and faster initiation of follow-up treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Dr. Simon Paine, a consultant neuropathologist involved in the study, described the new technique as revolutionary, pointing out not only the improved speed but also the enhanced diagnostic accuracy. He anticipates this advancement will have far-reaching impacts on how brain tumour patients are managed from the moment of surgery.
Dr. Simon Newman from The Brain Tumour Charity echoed these sentiments, calling the development transformative. He noted that the ability to combine multiple diagnostic tests into one, locally delivered process would help ensure equitable access to fast and accurate molecular diagnosis across healthcare systems.
With this breakthrough, patients could benefit from more timely, personalized care, and the trauma of prolonged diagnostic uncertainty could become a thing of the past.
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