No scalpel required: The rise of liquid biopsy in UK cancer diagnostic pathways

January 2026

The NHS is the first health system worldwide to prioritise commissioned blood-based testing over traditional tissue biopsies within specific diagnostic pathways.

Minimally invasive, quick and cost-effective, liquid biopsy is proving to have numerous benefits over traditional tissue biopsies following trials in England and Wales. Sian Morgan reports on the integration of liquid biopsy into NHS cancer diagnostics.