'Liquid biopsy' — new weapon in cancer battle?

'Rollercoaster' author cheered by blood test that can help locate patients' cancer DNA 

Gina Kolata

"Liquid biopsy," a new blood test, has shown promise of locating cancer DNA in a patient's bloodstream, according to an article in "The New York Times."

The piece appeared April 19 under the byline of Gina Kolata, the newspaper's health writer. 

It encouraged me, Woody Weingarten, and gave me renewed hope.

I tend to be a rose-colored glasses kind of guy anyway, and believe it's cause for celebration any time anything that even resembles a breakthrough pops up.

My book, "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," will attest to my positive thinking, to my steadfast belief that there can be light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Kolata's article says the "hope is that a simple blood draw — far less onerous for patients than a traditional biopsy or CT scan — will enable oncologists to quickly figure out whether a treatment is working."

Failing treatments, she continued, "could be abandoned quickly, sparing patients grueling side effects and allowing doctors to try alternatives."