Digital PCR of Cancer Tumors

As seen in my last blog, cancer is the topic of choice. This will most likely be the topic for most of my blogs.

 

 Instead of talking about a new anti-cancer treatment, I found an interesting article on how a digital biology company demonstrated digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in tumors from blood samples and not to from a biopsy. 

 

            RainDance Technologies, Inc. demonstrated its “RainDrop Digital PCR System” by taking plasma samples from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. These samples were screened for seven of the most common mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS oncogene. The results from the digital PCR were compared to quantitave PCR (qPCR) results that were taken from a biopsy of the tumor. This presentation showed that detecting cancer mutation in a blood sample can be done.  The RainDrop Digital PCR system can also be used to detect glioma-associated mRNA mutations from cerebrospinal fluid and BRAF mutations present in trans-renal DNA from urine could also be measured.  This technology will help clinicians detect mutations without putting patients through many lengthy, painful and dangerous procedures.

 

            I know, in order to get a biopsy sample, the patient has to undergo an invasive or non-invasive surgical procedure, either way it is a painful procedure for the patient and costly.  According to my father, the procedure was lengthy and painful when he had to have a biopsy of the tumor on his bone, he could feel the needle going into the bone. With digital PCR, this would have not been an issue and there would be much less pain. I am not a fan of needles, but I would rather have blood drawn from a vein, then a needle going into my bone. Hopefully this technology will start to show up in most clinical laboratories, so that cancer detection can be made easier for the patient. 

 

What are your thoughts on this new technology?  We do know the current biopsy sampling works, will this system be as accurate or is it too new?  Should cost be a factor when considering newer technologies for detecting cancer?  If it is too expensive or too new some insurance companies will not cover the cost of the procedure? Should this hinder research?

 

Here is the article on this presentation.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/09/11/5197343/raindance-publication-demonstrates.html