A new technology has be backed by the government which could speed up bowel cancer diagnoses, without the need for colonoscopies and biopsies.
The technology, made in Britain by Xgenera and the University of Southampton, has the potential to detect bowel cancer earlier, which gives patients more time to be able to treat the disease effectively.
This technology comes at a crucial time, as bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer, with over 42,000 people diagnosed each year. Nine in ten people survive bowel cancer when it’s detected at stage one, compared to just one in ten when diagnosed at stage four.
In memory of campaigner Dame Deborah James, Cancer Research UK have funded a new research lab. The BowelBabe Laboratory will bring together leading scientists to advance bowel cancer understanding, as well as conduct leading research to aid the development of new treatments for bowel cancer.
A collaboration between the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the government will see £2.4 million to progress the development of an AI-driven blood test, known as miONCO-Dx. Using data from over 20,000 patients, it has since been transformed into a cheaper, faster, and more scalable solution, which will be assessed in a clinical trial of 8,000 patients.
The test works by measuring the microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and, if so, where it is present in the body. Initial tests have shown that, with over 99 per cent accuracy, the test is able to detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers, including bowel cancer.
This new test, not only able to identify cancer earlier, is also cheaper and easier, which has the potential to free up valuable NHS resources and staffing in the long term.
Secretary of state for health and social care, Wes Streeting, said: “From my own experience, I know the devastating toll cancer can take on patients and families, and how many of them have been faced with long waiting lists to get the diagnosis and treatment they deserve.
“We know that the key to surviving cancer is catching it is early as possible, so this government is taking the urgent action needed to make sure that happens through our Plan for Change, from developing world leading technology to detect bowel cancer earlier, though to setting up hubs for the UK’s top scientists to research and treat the disease.
“Dame Deborah James dedicated her life to raising awareness for cancer and finding ways that we can beat it, so it is only right that we honour her legacy by investing in research to help stop one of the country’s biggest killers.
“And research is only one part of the work we’re doing. Our National Cancer Plan will transform cancer so patients can get the latest treatments and technology, ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to some of the best in the world.”
