Blood cancers can develop in anyone and can occur at any age from infancy to adulthood. By 2035 blood cancers will be the second most common cancer type in Australia.
Blood cancers are characterised by genetic abnormalities and their detection is critical for diagnosis, predicting outlook and choice of treatment. Current methods are labour-intensive and of poor resolution.
Over the past 5 years, the Royal Perth Hospital Haemaetology department has been developing a new method to improve on the current testing: they analyse thousands of cells and combine all the test types into one. This exciting invention is called “Immuno-flowFISH”. It quantifies multiple proteins to identify the cancer cell and simultaneously detects genetic changes to diagnose blood cancers. It is fast, automated, exquisitely precise and sensitive. This WA invented technique has potential to revolutionise care by increasing diagnostic accuracy, through earlier detection of recurrence and drug resistance to significantly improved outcome for patients with blood cancers.
At the RPH Research Foundation's August Food for Thought Seminar Dr Hun Chuah shared with fellow researchers how the WA-invented laboratory innovation "Immuno-flowFISH" is being used to tackle blood cancers and enhance diagonistic capability.
Dr Chuah is an early-career clinician-scientist, clinical and laboratory haematologist and clinical trialist at the Royal Perth Hospital. In clinical research, Dr Chuah co-leads the haematology clinical trial unit at RPH. He is an integral member of the WA research team that invented the immuno-flowFISH technique, an area of his active research. He is also one of the 2022 Springboard Plus receipients.
Watch his presentation below to learn more about this revolutionary invention.