ctDNA testing
Circulating tumour DNA testing will be available to order by South East clinicians from December 1st 2025.
Circulating tumour DNA testing will be available to order by South East clinicians from December 1st 2025.
The South East Genomic Medicine Service will become the third centre to provide ctDNA testing for the NHS which is currently available for non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. This ‘revolutionary’ blood test was made freely available to all patients that meet the clinical eligibility criteria earlier this year.
This page will support clinicians to understand the new pathway and answer your questions.
What is ctDNA testing?
The NHS is the first health service in the world to roll-out a ‘blood test-first’ approach to diagnosing suspected lung cancer, with the test being used before traditional tissue biopsies. As a result, patients are able to start treatment for lung cancer up to two weeks earlier.
Patients with advanced breast cancer whose cancer has not responded to previous treatment can also have a ctDNA test to determine if they are eligible for targeted treatments.
The blood test, also called a ‘liquid biopsy’, can detect tiny fragments of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and looks for specific genetic variations of cancer, allowing patients to access targeted therapies which are tailored to the genetic profile of their cancer.
This service is centrally funded for all eligible patients with the three centres providing ctDNA testing across all of England. From December 1st, all referrers from the South East of England, which covers South London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent & Medway, will now need to send sample to the South East Genomic Medicine Service.
Testing details
The South East Genomic Medicine Service will use the MSK-ACCESS® panel powered with SOPHiA DDM™
This NGS panel has been fully validated and can detect small nucleotide variants in 147 genes, including the TERT promoter region and MET exon 14 skipping, copy
number variants in 71 genes and 10 gene fusions detected by DNA based testing.
Find further information here.
Reporting and full interpretation on the front page of the report will be in line with the requirements of the National Genomic Test Directory for Cancer with inclusion of a list
of additionally detected oncogenic/likely oncogenic variants on page 2.
If full interpretation of any additional variants is required, a referral to our solid tumour GTAB can be made by completing the GTAB referral form and submitting it by email to gst-tr.gtabsoutheastglh@nhs.net
Order blood collection kits
The blood collection kits are no longer funded centrally by NHSE; kits must be procured and funded by individual referring Trusts.
- Ordering new stock
As an interim measure Streck tubes can be ordered from Alpha Labs using the Royal Marsden product code: VBC-KIT-RM-01.
These kits include instructions for use and a pre-paid Royal Mail tracked 24h delivery address label.
Once you have placed the order, you MUST contact Alpha Labs on
solutions@alphalabs.co.uk with the number of kits ordered and they will provide the correct Royal Mail tracked 24h address label which you will need to print and affix over the existing Royal Marsden label.
This is a TEMPORARY and short-term fix while we transition to the new pathway.
- Using up existing stock
If you have existing stock of Streck tubes with the old Royal Marsden address labels, please contact Alpha Labs at solutions@alphalabs.co.uk stating the number of kits remaining, and they will provide updated address labels as a PDF at no additional cost. Please print these new labels and affix over the existing Royal Marsden shipping labels.
- New South East Genomic Medicine Service collection kits
Kits with the correct address labels will be available to order in around 4 weeks.
A new product code will be required to order these kits; we will communicate the details as soon as it’s finalised.
- Collection kit and general queries
Please contact the Cancer Genetics laboratory via seglhsomaticcancer@synnovis.co.uk if you have any questions.
- Laboratory address
Samples should be sent to:
Cancer Genetics
Synnovis Genetics Laboratories
4th Floor Southwark Wing
Guy’s Hospital
SE1 9RT
Sample requirements
Please complete the ctDNA request form, which is designed to be completed electronically and printed; a paper copy MUST be included with all referrals.
Handwritten forms are acceptable, but any handwritten text MUST be written clearly and legibly to avoid delays to testing.
Sample requirements for ctDNA are very different to other tests. Please follow these key steps:
-
EDTA (purple top) tubes are NOT appropriate for ctDNA testing and will be immediately rejected upon receipt.
-
Two Streck Cell-Free DNA BCT tubes MUST be filled to the 10ml line as indicated on the tube.
-
Samples must be kept at room temperature and not refrigerated.
-
Pack the glass Streck tubes very carefully for transport using the transport box and packaging supplied as part of the blood collection kit.
Educational sessions
We’re hosting two education sessions to help referrers to understand the new pathway and ask questions.
We have two sessions available; Dec 2nd or Dec 11th.
If you order ctDNA testing, please join us at one of these dates A recording will also be available afterwards.
