The UK government has committed £118 million to accelerate cancer research, including funding for a groundbreaking blood test that could detect the 12 most common types of cancer at their earliest stages.
Currently, the NHS offers screening for breast, bowel, cervical, and lung cancers through scans and biopsies. However, the new Mionco test, developed by researchers at the University of Southampton, could radically change this approach. Requiring just a blood sample, the test can potentially identify cancers like lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and liver at stages one or two. Early trials have shown remarkable accuracy, with an estimated error rate of only 1 in 50 tests. If successful, the test is expected to cost between £120 and £300 and may be available in the next five to seven years.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, himself a cancer survivor, described the blood test as a “game changer,” capable of speeding up diagnoses and cutting down long waiting times for patients. By identifying cancer early with a simple blood draw, this test could significantly improve outcomes and survival rates, particularly as the UK’s cancer survival statistics lag behind other developed nations.
Alongside this, ministers have unveiled plans for five new research hubs across the UK, including sites at University College London and the University of Edinburgh. These centres will focus on advancing health technologies such as micro-dosing, a technique to test new drugs in smaller, targeted amounts, and improving immunotherapy, a treatment that uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer.
The funding will also support the development of AI models by granting researchers better access to NHS pathology data. By leveraging the vast patient information held by the NHS, AI could improve diagnosis accuracy and personalised treatments.
These initiatives mark a significant step towards faster, more efficient cancer detection and treatment in the UK.
Affected by cancer?
The blood tests are for the future but if you have suffered from cancer but the doctors have failed to detect it early due to negligence, then may have a claim for delayed cancer diagnosis. Please contact us for further information.
Further Reading on Missed Cancer Diagnosis
