Larger Tumor Size Linked to Higher Mortality Risk in Brain Cancer

For the first time in patients with brain cancer, investigators are sharing real-world data showing a clear and consistent association between increased tumor size and mortality for patients, according to a news release from Dxcover Limited.

Investigators evaluated a retrospective cohort study of 1,196 patients to generate these initial findings. The data highlight that a diagnosis given up to just one month earlier, through interventions such as Dxcover’s proprietary PANAROMIC liquid biopsy platform, reduces the risk of mortality in patients with brain cancer by 18% to 28%. This, in turn, would be expected to improve survival rates and reduce healthcare expenditures related to brain cancer.

Notably, investigators will share additional data on this topic during two upcoming conferences: at Ca-PRI, taking place in Manchester, UK, April 29 and 30, as well as at the 2025 AACR Annual Meeting, taking place in Chicago April 25 to 30.

"Prioritizing people with symptoms of a possible brain tumor for urgent brain imaging does matter," said Dr. Paul Brennan, professor of Clinical and Experimental Neurosurgery at the University of Edinburgh and an author on the study. "These new data make it clear that identifying tumors when they are smaller benefits patients, reducing the duration of time in hospital, and increasing survival times. I hope these findings will encourage clinicians and health care organizations to implement strategies to help diagnose brain tumors at the earliest stages, so that appropriate therapy can be initiated as quickly as possible.”

A retrospective study, according to the National Library of Medicine, is an observational review and/or reassessment of information from database records. By reviewing this information from an existing registry database, investigators found that there is a clear and consistent association between tumor size and patient outcomes.

The news release breaks down these findings by stating that a brain tumor measuring approximately 60 millimeters at diagnosis would be expected to have measured 31 millimeters to 45.5 millimeters based on previously reported growth rates of 1.2% to 2.1% per day. Therefore, this implies that, by detecting the tumor earlier, this would decrease the hazard of brain cancer mortality by 18% to 28%. In turn, this reduction would translate to survival at one-year increasing to 37% to 42% from 30%; long-term survival of three years or more increasing to 5% to 8% from 3%; and inpatient hospital stays being reduces from 35.1 days to 30.6 to 32.5 days, thus also reducing healthcare costs.

Additionally, findings from the news release state that 30-day mortality saw a statistically significant reduction for patients with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and rapidly progressing type of brain cancer.

What is the PANAROMIC Liquid Biopsy Platform?

The PANAROMIC platform from Dxcover is a differentiated, multiomic technology which includes the complete spectrum of signals from a blood sample that genetic tests may miss by reaching beyond tumor DNA. It combines novel hardware and infrared spectroscopy with artificial intelligence algorithms, making it a unique platform. Furthermore, it is able to detect the presence or absence of disease earlier by analyzing a patient’s blood.

“There are 130 different types of brain tumors, and treatment can vary depending on where they are situated and on whether the tumor is high grade or low grade, and within those different forms of brain tumors,” Cameron Miller, director of External Affairs and Strategy at The Brain Tumor Charity explained.

“Diagnosing a brain tumor and its status early in the development of the disease is essential for ensuring patients receive timely care that is optimized for their specific tumor type. This Real- World Evidence study is timely, because if we can demonstrate that faster diagnosis will save the NHS money by reducing the number of inpatient bed days, while also potentially reducing mortality, we can build a clear case for investment in new approaches to diagnosis,” Miller continued.

Using infrared light, the PANAROMIC platform has demonstrated sensitivity using light to vibrate the molecules and produce a spectrum which characterizes the whole sample. This is important because the earlier diagnosis of cancer means improved survival. These data, therefore, reinforce the potential of the of liquid biopsy platforms like PANAROMIC in improving cancer outcomes.

“The data presented today underscore the potential of our PANAROMIC liquid biopsy platform to improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer,” Professor Matthew J. Baker, co-founder, CEO and President of Dxcover, said. “The ability to detect tumors earlier can enable the development of novel treatments that would not be feasible with current diagnostic paradigms. Our approach provides a timely and affordable test for the detection of brain cancer earlier, when tumors are smaller, and the data presented today suggest that it could be a game-changer for improving brain cancer outcomes.”

Additional prospective trials or research should be conducted in order to continue to inform the understanding of how earlier diagnosis and intervention impacts patient outcomes for those with brain cancer, the news release concludes.

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