Bombay Durpun - NHS Trials Blood Screening for 13 Cancers in England

More than 20,000 patients across England are set to participate in a major National Health Service trial evaluating blood tests capable of identifying 13 different cancers. The initiative aims to determine if early detection can improve survival rates for diseases that often present with vague symptoms.

The study, known as STRIDE-RCT, is being led by the University of Birmingham and will take place at approximately 200 general practitioner surgeries. It focuses on patients aged 45 and older who visit their doctor with symptoms that may indicate cancer. The trial will evaluate three different blood-testing technologies to assess their accuracy in identifying possible malignancies and helping GPs decide which patients require urgent further investigation.

The tests target a specific group of abdominal cancers, including bowel, pancreatic, ovarian, stomach, liver, kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer. Other conditions under investigation include those affecting the small bowel, oesophagus, bile ducts, gallbladder, and the lining of the womb. Some technologies detect tiny fragments of DNA released by tumors, while others examine associated proteins. Artificial intelligence may also be used to analyze results.

Researchers emphasize that early diagnosis can dramatically improve survival prospects. For example, approximately nine in ten people diagnosed with bowel cancer at stage one survive for at least five years, compared with roughly one in ten diagnosed at stage four. However, the new blood tests will not provide a definitive cancer diagnosis. A positive result would require further investigation, while a negative result would not necessarily rule out cancer.

The research addresses difficulties doctors face in identifying abdominal cancers because their symptoms can resemble less serious illnesses. Approximately 71,000 people in England are diagnosed with pancreatic, stomach, liver, ovarian, or bowel cancer each year, resulting in almost 35,000 deaths annually. The trial will also examine whether the technology could help reduce unnecessary hospital referrals while ensuring patients with potentially serious conditions receive prompt investigations.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, highlighted the challenges of diagnosing these diseases. The research follows an earlier NHS trial involving more than 142,000 volunteers who underwent testing using a different multi-cancer blood test called Galleri. Although that study produced some encouraging findings, it did not achieve its main objective of reducing the overall number of cancers diagnosed at stages three and four.

Researchers will now assess whether testing patients who already have symptoms can provide more useful information for doctors. The University of Birmingham study is scheduled to continue until October 2031, with its findings helping to determine whether the technology could eventually become more widely available across the NHS. It has not yet been confirmed which GP practices in Worcestershire, Warwickshire, or the wider West Midlands will participate.

Patients concerned about persistent or unexplained symptoms are advised to contact their GP rather than wait for the new tests to become available.

E.Narula--BD