A revolutionary blood test capable of detecting some of the most common and lethal cancers before symptoms develop is set to receive government funding in the United Kingdom, according to reporting by The Mirror. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, himself a cancer survivor, believes this "universal" blood screening could transform cancer treatment within the National Health Service (NHS) in the next five years.
The test, developed by scientists at Southampton University, utilizes clinical information from 20,000 cancer patients and is reported to be 99% accurate in detecting cancer at any stage, even before symptoms manifest. Early trials indicate it can identify 50 different types of cancer before producing a false positive result.
Professor Paul Skipp of Southampton University told The Mirror: "A test like this could save many lives, catching cancers much earlier. We hope to have an NHS test in five to seven years." Streeting, who lost a kidney during his cancer treatment, emphasized the importance of early detection: "Having survived, it is my mission as Health Secretary that it is caught earlier and more are saved."
The miONCO test, which costs £120 ($157), screens for lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, colorectal, ovarian, liver, brain, esophageal, bladder, bone and soft tissue sarcoma, and gastric cancers. It requires only a few drops of blood and could potentially eliminate months-long waits for tests and scans.
The UK government plans to invest £2.5 million ($3.3 million) through the National Institute for Health and Care Research to refine the test, making it faster and more cost-effective. Researchers have established a startup company, Xgenera, to facilitate the test's rollout, citing its "potential to save millions of lives" globally.
The next development phase will involve perfecting the artificial intelligence used to analyze test samples and biomarkers by inputting 8,000 blood samples from individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Currently, the NHS only offers screening tests for breast, bowel, cervical, and lung cancers, which often involve invasive procedures or scans and have high false-positive rates. Prof Skipp noted: "The UK spends £800 million ($1 billion) a year screening for these four cancers, and an additional £91 million ($119 million) is spent on false positive follow-ups."
The government's investment in this technology aligns with its broader strategy to leverage Britain's scientific expertise to improve cancer care within the NHS. Streeting and Science Secretary Peter Kyle are backing efforts to combine cutting-edge research with the NHS's potential to benefit patients nationwide.
Streeting added: "The investment we are launching on Sunday will help partner our universities, health service, and pharmaceutical giants to produce new cutting-edge treatments – catching cancer earlier at the same time as boosting the UK's economic growth."
