ACCESS Project

RM Partners is supporting a project called ACCESS, led by The Royal Marsden, to improve the use of liquid biopsies as a diagnostic tool in pancreatic and biliary tract cancer pathways.

Liquid biopsies are blood tests that can find and detect abnormalities through identification of cancer cell DNA in the bloodstream. Testing for circulating tumour DNA in the bloodstream has the potential to reduce repeated invasive diagnostic investigations, enabling patients to access the appropriate care more quickly.

The ACCESS service evaluation project, funded by an innovation grant from NHS England, aims to embed the use of liquid biopsies in the current diagnostic pathway for stage 3 and 4 pancreatic and biliary tract cancer patients.

Evidence suggests that technologies such as liquid biopsies will be able to bring significant benefit for pancreatic and biliary tract cancer patients by offering faster and safer diagnosis, facilitating better patient outcomes and experience.

Recruitment of eligible patients is currently underway in six sites across west London and will soon be rolling out to two further sites across RM Partners geography.

Final results and findings of the service evaluation are expected in June 2024.

For more information please contact: rmpartners.research@nhs.net