A new blood test which can detect more than 50 types of cancer is to be piloted by NHS England. If successful, it could be used as a screening tool for the over-50s.
In response, Henny Braund MBE, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, says:
‘Diagnosing blood cancer can be extremely challenging because many of the symptoms are vague; Anthony Nolan is delighted to see results from this positive study which shows a blood test is accurate enough to be used as a screening tool for the over-50s.
‘For some blood cancers, such as myeloma, most cases are diagnosed late meaning many patients have a poorer prognosis and fewer options for treatment. This can mean patients are not fit enough for potentially life-saving stem cell transplants, so it is very encouraging that this tool may lead to more people being offered this second chance of life.’
‘We look forward to further research, which is needed to investigate how well this test works in NHS settings and to refine its efficacy in detecting blood cancers in particular’.