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Getty Images (Mykola Tys)
In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es salaam, Tanzania, have shown that a minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” test can diagnose Burkitt lymphoma rapidly and accurately in sub-Saharan Africa, where delays in traditional testing often prove fatal.
Despite its aggressive nature, Burkitt lymphoma is often curable when treated quickly, with survival rates over 90%. Treatment is widely available and free-of-charge in most sub-Saharan countries, however current diagnostic tests demand specialist expertise and laboratory equipment that are often unavailable in resource-limited settings. Due to this, most children either remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late. In much of the region, survival rates can fall below 50%.
'There is an urgent need for new diagnostic methods that are practical and effective in the under-resourced settings where Burkitt lymphoma is most common', said Anna Schuh, Professor of Molecular Diagnostics (Department of Oncology) and lead researcher on the study. 'This is a highly treatable cancer, yet too many children and young adults are not diagnosed in time. As a minimally invasive and precise approach, liquid biopsy tests have enormous potential to transform diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa and significantly improve outcomes.'