Latest news with #earlydetection
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Prostate cancer screening must be overhauled, Sir Chris Hoy says
Sir Chris Hoy has issued a powerful call for systemic change to how men are tested for prostate cancer, following his own diagnosis with terminal stage four of the disease. The 49-year-old six-time Olympic champion revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, and was informed last year that the disease had tragically spread to his bones and is terminal. Despite NHS guidance typically identifying men over the age of 50 as being at the highest risk, Sir Chris's personal battle at 47 underscores his urgent plea for earlier screening. His advocacy aims to ensure other men do not face the same late diagnosis, pushing for a re-evaluation of current testing protocols to save lives. He said: 'I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer at 47. By this age, my prostate cancer was advanced and could have been progressing from when I was 45 or even younger. 'With prostate cancer, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. We need the system to change to enable more men to get diagnosed earlier, and stop them getting the news I got.' One option is a PSA blood test which checks the level of prostate-specific antigens in the blood. A high reading may be a sign of a prostate condition. NHS guidance says these tests are not routinely used as they are not reliable, but men over 50 can ask GPs for one. Sir Chris's comments came after Prostate Cancer UK urged the UK Government for an overhaul of NHS guidelines to encourage GPs to proactively speak to men at high risk from 45 years old. According to the charity, around one in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer, which occurs when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way and, if not detected early, risks spreading. Sir Chris added: 'I believe men at highest risk, for example men with a family history like me or black men, should be contacted by their GP earlier on to discuss a simple PSA blood test that can check for signs of prostate cancer. Then if there are any issues, they can get it treated it at an earlier stage. 'I've told my story to help raise awareness about the most common cancer in men and get more thinking about their risk and what they can do, but it shouldn't all be men's responsibility. 'I've faced many challenges in my life, and going public with my prostate cancer diagnosis was certainly one of them. 'I've been incredibly lucky to have so much support from my family, friends and the general public. The kindness has lifted me up and given me a sense of purpose, and I'm committed to taking that forward and using my platform to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men and help more men at risk to come forward and get tested.' The Scottish cyclist has launched his own charity cycling challenge, Tour de 4, with the aim of changing perceptions around stage four cancer. The challenge will take place on September 7 in Glasgow with a final registration phase open for riders to sign up. Speaking about Sir Chris, Laura Kerby, chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'His bravery and tireless work to raise awareness has already made a huge impact. 'In just a few months after Sir Chris went public with his diagnosis last year, over 286,000 people used our online risk checker to learn more about the disease, find out their own risk and learn what they can choose to do about it. 'His bravery has inspired so many men to take action, and he has undoubtedly saved lives. 'One in eight men will get prostate cancer. The earlier it's found, the easier it is to treat — but there's currently no screening programme in the UK. So if, like Sir Chris, you have a family history of the disease, or if you're black, we strongly encourage you to speak to your GP about testing from the age of 45. 'We don't think it's right that the responsibility is all on men's shoulders, so we're calling on the Health Secretary to overhaul outdated NHS guidelines so that GPs are empowered to actually start conversations with these men at highest risk.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
GPs to contact patients with key warning signs of pancreatic cancer
The NHS is rolling out a new initiative across GP surgeries in England, aiming to significantly improve the early detection of pancreatic cancer, a disease with the lowest survival rate among all cancers. Hundreds of GPs will receive additional funding to review patient records, focusing on identifying individuals over the age of 60 who exhibit key warning signs. These include a recent diagnosis of diabetes and unexplained sudden weight loss. Figures suggest that approximately half of all pancreatic cancer diagnoses occur in individuals who have recently been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. By proactively identifying these high-risk patients, the NHS hopes to diagnose the deadly disease at an earlier, more treatable stage, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Family doctors taking part in the NHS England pilot will then contact patients and send them for urgent blood tests and CT scans to rule cancer in or out. Pancreatic cancer can have vague symptoms and is often diagnosed in the late stages. According to researchers, newly-diagnosed diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and only around one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. More than half of people die within three months of diagnosis. For the new three-year pilot, more than 300 GP practices in England will be involved, with all practices up and running by the autumn. Almost £2 million in targeted funding has been invested to help practices find people most at risk and give patients the best chance of being diagnosed early. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: 'Pancreatic cancer is responsible for so many deaths because patients don't usually notice symptoms until the cancer is at an advanced stage, which is why we need to find new ways to pick it up. 'Through initiatives like this and the upcoming 10-year health plan, the NHS is determined to go a step further – not just treat people at an advanced stage but to go out into communities and seek people out who might be unwell without any symptoms so we can provide people with the most effective treatment. 'The NHS is seeing and treating more people with cancer than ever, and early diagnosis is key to ensure patients have the best chance of receiving effective treatment. 'If your GP practice identifies you as at risk of pancreatic cancer, I urge you to come forward for testing as soon as possible.' Health minister Karin Smyth said: 'This targeted approach to identify people at risk of one of the most lethal cancers could give more people a fighting chance and spare the heartbreak of countless families.' Alfie Bailey-Bearfield, head of influencing and health improvement at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: 'Diagnosing more people with pancreatic cancer earlier, when the disease is most treatable, would make the single biggest difference to improving survival, so we are delighted to see significant further investment from NHS England towards that incredibly important goal. 'We're proud to have been involved in shaping this new case finding pilot, which will support GPs to proactively find people with pancreatic cancer among one of largest groups known to be at increased risk: those aged over 60, with new onset diabetes who have recently lost weight without trying to do so. 'Many of the people who are referred for a CT scan during the pilot will not have pancreatic cancer, but for those that do, the impact could be lifesaving. 'Subject to the pilot's success, we will be calling for this pilot to be expanded across the country to help give more people affected by the deadliest common cancer the very best chance of survival.' Previous research has shown that people over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Biocurious: Rhythm gets into the groove of predicting and preventing cancer
Rhythm Biosciences has expanded its original remit of bowel cancer to diagnosing other cancers early in the piece The company late last year acquired the Genetype platform from the administrators of Genetic Technologies Rhythm is developing its blood-based bowel cancer assay Colostat as a laboratory test Cancer diagnostics house Rhythm Biosciences (ASX:RHY) goes by the age-old seamstress lore that a stitch in time saves nine. In the case of common cancers, treating them later is much more expensive than if they are detected early. 'Without screening, cancers are diagnosed at late stage, by which time the cost of treatment is much greater,' says Rhythm CEO Dr David Atkins. In the case of bowel cancer, Australians aged between 50 and 75 are eligible for a free biennial test, delivered to their door. One problem is fewer than half of the 'poo tests' – more formally known as faecal occult tests (FOTs) – are returned. The program is costly to run. Another is that the disease increasingly is being detected in the under 50s, which account for 20% of all cases. The reasons are unclear. One hypothesis is exposure to a particular e-coli toxin in early childhood, possibly more prolific because of antibiotics use, caesarean births or probiotics. Others blame wheat-based diets. 'We have good screening programs, but the economics are such that we can't really go below 50 years old,'' Atkins says. Getting into the Rhythm Rhythm is working on a double-banger solution to early detection not just of bowel cancer – its original remit – but other tumours as well. The company has been developing Colostat, a minimally invasive blood-based test that detects certain protein biomarkers. The tech had its origins from within the hallowed halls of the CSIRO, more than two decades ago. 'Our goal is to provide a simple inexpensive lab-based test that will be equivalent to the stool-based test for the symptomatic patient,' Atkins says. Late last year Rhythm acquired a testing platform, Genetype, from the administrators of the failed listed Genetic Technologies. Genetype tests an individual's genetic propensity to get cancer. 'The two platforms work hand in hand,' Atkins says. 'Genetype is the earliest possible point at which you can detect disease, while Colostat is able to detect disease once it has actually formed.' For many people, FOT is not the right fit Many recipients are unwilling to carry out the FOT test for religious or cultural reasons – or simply squeamishness. Requiring two samples over two days, the test is somewhat cumbersome. But Atkins says Colostat is unlikely to replace FOTs for routine screening. 'Screening tests anywhere take a long time to be adopted and authorities would be reluctant to disturb the status quo'. Rather, Colostat is likely to be an 'adjunct or alternative to the current standard of care' for the symptomatic population. In other words, the test would be used by GPs on doctors on the small minority of patients that present with symptoms. 'Unfortunately, in Australia most of the circa 15,000 cases diagnosed annually results from patients going to their doctor with symptoms,' Atkins says. 'Doctors need a solution to determine whether they can send the individuals for a colonoscopy, or send them home.' The clinicians obtain a result within 24 hours, rather than a week or more for the FOT test. The flipside of effective detection is avoiding overservicing. If the patient goes home safely, that's a big plus for the health system. Atkins notes that Australian clinics carry out one million colonoscopies annually. Given the detection figure of 15,000 patients, many are unnecessary and 'result in unnecessary cost and stress.' Clinical tests have shown that Colostat is more effective at detecting cancer than a FOT test, which detects blood in the stools. But this could also be a sign of polyps, ulcers, or hemorrhoids. That said, Rhythm is happy with mere equivalency. After all, the Colostat test always will be more effective than an unused poo test. Pursuing the lab-based route On March 6, 2023, Rhythm shares tumbled 45% after the company withdrew its 1300-page marketing application to the local Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The company felt it was unable to provide the information the agency requested within the requisite 20 business days. Initially, Rhythm planned to resubmit to the TGA, but now plans to commercialise Colostat via the laboratory-developed test route. 'Lab based' refers to the common path of shipping the test to an appropriately certified lab, which acts as the quality gatekeeper. Certification means National Association of Testing Authorities accreditation. The lab-based route obviates the need for TGA approval for general dispersal. 'Most new diagnostics go down the lab path,' Atkins says. 'It's rare for a new diagnostics company to put an assay in a box and try to get TGA approval, which is an expensive and difficult path.' In the case of Colostat, one or two labs nationally could handle the processing, so the lab route is not that arduous. 'We're not going to need hundreds of labs running our assays in future, but we will need more than one.' Atkins, who joined Rhythm a year ago says: 'We have focused on taking the work the previous team has done and leveraging that so we can get a high-quality product to market.' This work includes reformulating the protein biomarkers that Colostat detects, using a single simplified assay. 'We are finalising the verification validation for the assay to ensure it does what it says on the label.' Predicting cancer risk The Genetype tests are a mix of genomic data and clinical and demographic history. 'The selling point for Genetype is that it gives insights into individuals' risk profiles that they otherwise wouldn't get,' Atkins says. The Genetype acquisition transforms Rhythm from development stage to a revenue-generating business, Rhythm paid $625,000 for Genetype – less these days than a house in Darwin or Hobart. Atkins says Genetic Technologies spent 'comfortably more' than that on developing Genetype over more than a decade. In the year to June 2024 Genetic Technologies derived $134,085 of revenue from Genetype, 200% higher than the previous year. Atkins says Rhythm primarily has acquired the know-how behind Genetype – seven key staff members stayed on – as well as a watertight patent portfolio and US and local lab licences. Rhythm also obtains the medical history of several thousand patients which it ultimately could use for R&D. "This is incredibly valuable," Atkins says. Won't make the same mistake Atkins says Genetic Technologies tried to sell Genetype directly to consumers. In reality, physicians need to request the test. 'We are focused on partners who either are GP networks or have GPs within their system. For example, employee management groups, insurers, clinical networks and laboratories.' Health insurers could carry out the test routinely, as part of health checks. Atkins says there's a sizeable market of consumers willing to pay out of pocket for the test, ranging from 'worried well' those already deemed high risk. Nonetheless, the company is exploring reimbursement. Atkins says while the US is the obvious market, Europe and China are also challenging but appealing. 'We are not ignoring Australia – the tenth biggest global health wellness market based on out-of-pocket payments,' he says. 'GPs tell us there is a real appetite for individuals to invest in their own health.' Meanwhile, Rhythm expects Colostat revenue to flow from 2026. Following that, the company hopes to expand the assay to six other tumours, including lung cancer. 'The next 12 to 18 months for Rhythm should be truly transformational,' Atkins says.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
This new test could spot pancreatic cancer much earlier
A new blood test, Avantect, is being trialled in the UK to detect early signs of pancreatic cancer in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a known risk factor. Early data indicates the Avantect test is 68% accurate in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer and 97% accurate in ruling out the disease. The clinical trial, launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, aims to improve early detection, as current methods often lead to late diagnoses when treatment options are limited. The test identifies markers of pancreatic cancer in blood samples, addressing the challenge of indistinct symptoms that contribute to the disease's high fatality rate, with almost 10,000 deaths annually in the UK. Researchers are collecting blood samples from 800 participants with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes to evaluate the test's accuracy in predicting pancreatic cancer, potentially benefiting thousands in the future. 'Promising' new test could detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages
The Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Blood test to detect early signs of deadliest cancer trialled in UK – and doctors are calling for people to take part
A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms. 2 Currently, the UK doesn't have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes - a known risk factor for the disease. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It's also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who's leading the trial, said: "There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. "If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. "Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. "This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future." According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. 'Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children' Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: "The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. "Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. "When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. "We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. "Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children." Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: "We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. "Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. "The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer." 'Exciting time for early detection research' 2 Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: "Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. "We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk." Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: "This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. "Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery."
