CANCER patients will be offered a blood test which aims to tailor treatments to avoid toxic side-effects.
The approach detects if they are genetically prone to suffering the worst effects of chemotherapy drugs.
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It will work for fluoropyrimidines, which around 38,000 patients are put on each year. Four in ten have severe reactions — and one in 100 die.
The test will tell patients if they are likely to have side-effects – which could include vomiting, diarrhoea, breathlessness and severe skin reactions.
Those who discover they are likely to suffer toxic effects will be able to opt for a different method of tackling tumours.
The test, previously only available at a few hospitals, is being rolled out across the country by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Breast Cancer Now called it a “welcome step” towards ensuring the “kindest” modes of treatment are used.
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