A BLOOD test that can spot 50 types of cancer could slash NHS delays by catching tumours sooner and fast-tracking patients to treatment.
An Oxford University trial found the Galleri screening test successfully detects cancer in the blood of two thirds of people with symptoms.
GettyTrials show the Galleri blood test can spot 50 types of cancer and detects it in two thirds of people with symptoms[/caption]
And it gives a correct negative result for 98 per cent of people without cancer, saving them the hassle and worry of further tests.
It can be used to quickly test patients who visit their GP with vague red-flag complaints like weight loss or tummy pain.
One on-the-spot blood sample could save patients from waiting to be referred to hospital – which can take weeks – and indicate straight away if they might have cancer.
It works by looking for tiny chunks of tumour DNA that break off and float in the blood.
The study of 5,461 patients at NHS hospitals in England and Wales found Galleri detected cancer in 244 out of 368 people who had it.
Oxford professor Dr Brian Nicholson, a lead investigator on the study, hailed the results as “exciting” and said: “Earlier cancer detection and intervention has the potential to greatly improve patient outcomes.
“Most patients diagnosed with cancer first see a primary care doctor for symptoms like weight loss, anaemia, or abdominal pain, which can be complex as there are multiple potential causes.
“New tools that can both expedite cancer diagnosis and potentially avoid invasive and costly investigations are needed.”
NHS cancer clinics have missed target times for years and the Covid crisis has added to the backlog.
Record numbers of Brits are being diagnosed but around 6,000 per month wait longer than two months to start treatment.
Survival rates are significantly higher if people are diagnosed in early stages.
The study, revealed at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, showed the Galleri test works better for people with more advanced disease.
It detected 95 per cent of cases at stage four but just 24 per cent at stage one.
The test also had an 85 per cent success rate at predicting which type of cancer someone had.
Lead investigator Professor Mark Middleton, also from Oxford University, said: “We see potential for people going to see their GP who are currently not referred urgently to investigate cancer but who do need testing.”
Professor Lawrence Young, a cancer expert at Warwick University, added: “This is an important study that shows we are edging towards an era when blood testing could really impact early diagnosis.”