25 April 2023

Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan MS visited the Institute of Medical Genetics at University Hospital of Wales to learn more about the launch of the ‘QuicDNA’ clinical trial. 

Welcomed by Charles ‘Jan’ Janczewski, Chair to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, together with project leads Dr Sian Morgan and Dr Magda Meissner of the All Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), Eluned Morgan MS was invited to learn more about the clinical trial which will evaluate the benefits of an innovative liquid biopsy test in people with suspected lung cancer. 

Made possible through the All-Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), Illumina Technology, Life Sciences Hub Wales, and multiple partner organisations, this new study will look at how the use of the liquid biopsy blood test earlier in the diagnostic process can improve and speed up diagnosis, reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment, and eventually inform how this technology can be used for other types of cancer. 

Liquid biopsy as a tool in genomic medicine is expected to become a pivotal part of healthcare and provide a better understanding of illnesses, improve patient outcomes and transform lives. In the future it has the potential to provide a simple, accessible and reliable means of investigating suspected cancer and less invasive monitoring for cancer recurrence. 

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: “Wales has been leading the way in how we integrate genomic testing into health services to revolutionise how we deliver healthcare. Liquid biopsies could deliver real benefits for patients in Wales and save lives by helping us detect and treat cancers earlier” 

The QuicDNA clinical trial forms part of a wider framework to recover and improve services through the Diagnostic Strategy for Wales