Tears could help brain-tumor diagnoses, study suggests

A Bolton man with glioblastoma has donated his tears to a pioneering study that could transform how brain cancers are detected, using tear fluid as a potential noninvasive diagnostic tool. The research, conducted at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, is exploring whether tear fluid can signal the presence of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, and act as a so-called liquid biopsy. The project is led by University of Manchester scientists and backed by Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, which has helped expand the trial to a larger participant pool.

Alex Davies, 49, began suffering seizures in 2023 and was treated for epilepsy before scans revealed a brain tumour. He underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Follow-up scans initially showed no evidence of cancer, but later tests found the tumour was growing back. He is now receiving palliative care at home. Davies, from Lostock, Bolton, said the diagnosis took months to confirm and his initial MRI scan did not spot the tumour. He added that his symptoms – including severe headaches, language difficulties and balance problems – worsened over about three months before the cancer was identified. “If helping with this research could mean someone like me can be diagnosed sooner, it offers real hope for the future,” he said. Davies’ wife, Emma, described the period as a “really horrible time” and said a simple tear test that could shorten that waiting time “would improve that awful time for so many others in the future.”

Thanks to nearly £500,000 in funding from Stand Up To Cancer, the Cancer Research UK–Channel 4 fundraising campaign, researchers at the University of Manchester have expanded the study to larger-scale trials. The team is exploring whether a tear-protein-based classifier can differentiate brain cancer patients from healthy volunteers with high levels of accuracy, potentially providing a faster, cheaper and less invasive means of diagnosing glioblastoma. Prof Petra Hamerlik, who leads the project, said the approach has not previously been explored for brain cancer and emphasized the goal of moving from proof of concept to a deployable tool. “My team is currently developing a tear-protein-based classifier that can differentiate brain cancer patients from healthy volunteers with high levels of accuracy,” she said. “If successful, we’ll seek further funding to develop a tool that can be rapidly deployed across health services, ultimately helping patients like Alex receive a timely diagnosis and better outcomes.”

The researchers describe the test as a “liquid biopsy” and say it could pave the way for faster, cheaper and less invasive brain cancer diagnosis. If confirmed, the tear-based test could be added to the diagnostic pathway at the point of care, including general practice surgeries, enabling patients to receive an earlier diagnosis and begin treatment sooner. The study is part of a broader effort at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre to develop blood- and tear-based biomarkers that can improve cancer detection and monitoring. While still in early-stage trials, the researchers anticipate further funding rounds as data accumulate and the method is validated across more diverse populations.

In describing the potential impact, Davies said the project represents hope for those facing a diagnosis similar to his. Emma Davies added that a rapid, tear-based test could shorten the lengthy and frightening period between symptom onset and confirmation of a brain tumour, allowing families to plan and access care earlier. Researchers caution that the tear-test approach is still under study and would require robust validation before it could be rolled out widely in clinics or GP practices. Nevertheless, the team’s early findings and the scale-up funded by Stand Up To Cancer signal a concerted push toward noninvasive, accessible tools that could transform brain-tumour detection and, ultimately, outcomes for patients facing glioblastoma.

The project is part of a broader movement to explore tear-based biomarkers as a window into neurological disease. If the method proves reliable, clinicians hope it could complement imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analyses rather than replace them, providing a first-pass screen that flags cases for further investigation. As the trials progress, researchers aim to refine the classifier to achieve even higher accuracy, reduce false positives, and determine how tear-based signals correlate with tumour biology and treatment response. While the timeline for clinical rollout remains dependent on the results of ongoing trials, the study underscores a growing interest in harnessing easily obtainable bodily fluids to improve cancer detection and patient outcomes inHealth.