Scientists at the University of Manchester are working on a simple test using tears that could spot brain tumours far earlier than we can today.
The breakthrough could mean patients getting diagnosed through a quick test at their GP surgery rather than waiting for MRI scans. Brain tumours are notoriously tricky to catch early because their symptoms are so vague – often just headaches or seizures that could mean anything.
This innovative approach, backed by Stand Up to Cancer funding, might transform how doctors identify these hard-to-detect cancers. The team believes tear fluid could reveal crucial information about what’s happening inside the brain.
Leading this pioneering work is Professor Petra Hamerlik, whose personal experience drives her dedication to finding better diagnostic methods. She lost her father to a brain tumour following more than 12 months of not knowing what was wrong.
Brain tumours are notoriously tricky to catch early
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GETTY
“I don’t want anybody else to go through that anxiety, because I know what we have been through, what my father went through,” she explained. The uncertainty and delays in getting answers left a lasting impact on her family.
This deeply personal loss has fuelled her determination to develop faster, more reliable ways to identify brain tumours.
She’s been working on this project for over a decade, starting back in 2012, refining the techniques and building the evidence needed to make this test a reality.
The brain presents a unique challenge for early cancer detection. It’s protected by something called the blood-brain barrier – essentially a biological shield that filters out harmful substances. While this barrier does a brilliant job of protecting the brain, it also keeps most signs of tumours trapped inside.
By the time cancer cells or DNA fragments make it into the bloodstream, where doctors can detect them, the disease has often already progressed significantly. This is why brain tumours are so difficult to spot early.
But tears offer an intriguing alternative. They’re produced from blood plasma and have a direct connection to the brain through the optic nerve.
The team wondered if immune system changes caused by brain tumours might show up in tear fluid – and it turns out they were onto something.
The initial Danish study delivered encouraging results. Using a standard eye test strip – the same kind doctors use to check for dry eye conditions – the team could identify brain tumours with impressive accuracy among 164 participants.
“By collecting tears using a standard eye Schirmer strip test already used for dry eye disease, we found we could detect brain tumours with high accuracy,” Professor Hamerlik notes.
Now they’re scaling up with INFORM, a major NHS-approved validation study. Patients from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are taking part to see if the test works reliably on a larger scale.
Professor Petra Hamerlik with study participant Alex and his wife Emma
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CANCER RESEARCH UK
Alex, who has glioblastoma, wants to help others by taking part in the study
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CANCER RESEARCH UK
The goal isn’t to replace MRI scans but to give GPs a quick way to decide who needs urgent imaging. It could also help when scan results aren’t clear.
One person making this research possible is Alex Davies, a 49-year-old from Lostock, Bolton, who’s living with glioblastoma – the most aggressive type of brain tumour. Despite receiving palliative care at home, he’s determined to help others by participating in the study.
Alex was healthy when he suddenly collapsed after a weekend trip. Initial scans missed the tumour entirely, and doctors treated him for epilepsy instead.
His symptoms got worse over three months – terrible headaches, speech difficulties, balance problems and confusion – before a major seizure finally revealed the cancer.
“Whether the delay in diagnosing my brain tumour would have made a difference to the outcome, I don’t know,” Alex said. “But if by helping with this research it could mean that someone like me can be diagnosed sooner, it offers real hope for the future.”
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