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13
Jul 2021
New blood test to detect pancreatic cancer could be available within months
A new blood test for early diagnosis of the hard to detect disease could be available in months and improve survival rates.
Pancreatic cancer currently has the lowest survival rate of the commonly known cancers, with 7.3 per cent of patients alive five years following diagnosis, compared to 58.4 per cent of bowel cancer patients and 85 per cent of breast cancer patients.
The disease is one of the hardest to diagnose early, in part because the pancreas is hidden behind the stomach, making it difficult for tumours to be felt or seen on scans.
There are also usually no symptoms in the early stages. When they do occur, the signs, such as back or stomach pain, indigestion and weight loss, can be vague and easily confused with other conditions, such as IBS.
The new test, developed by Swedish biotech firm Immunovia and being trialled on 2,000 patients at University College London Hospital, amongst other centres, looks for signs of the disease in patient’s blood.
The test picks out compounds using antibodies that latch on to individual chemicals, sophisticated scanning equipment is then used to measure the levels.
Previous research has shown the test is 96 per cent accurate in identifying people with early stage pancreatic cancers.
Commenting on the trial, Alastair Young, consultant pancreaticobiliary surgeon at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, said “Pancreatic cancer, more than most cancers, needs early diagnosis and appropriate treatment without delay.
“A test like this – that has the potential to help us achieve earlier diagnosis and treatment – would be very welcome. We await the results with great interest.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 304 7382
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