Newcastle joins rollout of faster brain tumour test

Newcastle Hospitals is rolling out a rapid brain tumour test as part of an NHS pilot aimed at replacing weeks of waiting with answers in days. The hospital trust is working with Newcastle University as one of five specialist centres in England introducing the technology.

Developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham, the test analyses DNA from a tumour sample to identify its type. That distinction matters: brain tumours range from slow-growing forms to aggressive cancers, and different types can need different treatments. Current detailed laboratory analysis can take several weeks.

The technology has already delivered results during surgery. Steve Palmer, 55, from Nottingham, received his diagnosis while surgeons were operating. Although the result was not what he had hoped for, he said getting it quickly removed weeks of anxiety.

Newcastle’s team says the test could provide the information needed for diagnosis within days. Getting a provisional result while a patient is still in surgery remains an aspiration for the local team. Faster answers could help doctors plan treatment and give patients earlier access to suitable clinical trials.

The two-year, NHS England-funded programme will assess whether the test is suitable for wider use. Further sites in Bristol, Oxford, Leeds and Manchester are set to join.