Mutation-counting blood test could predict if cutting-edge immunotherapies can beat a cancer

By Ken GarberJun. 27, 2018 , 1:30 PM

Some cancers generate the seeds of their own destruction. Certain random mutations that accumulate in rapidly dividing tumor cells can spur the immune system to attack the cancer. Researchers are now learning that the extent of such mutations can predict whether a cancer will respond to new, powerful, immune-based therapies. A recently unveiled blood test for this so-called tumor mutational burden (TMB) could help make it a practical tool for guiding cancer treatment.