A blood test for cancer currently being trialled by the NHS has been heralded as an "important milestone" in efforts to catch and treat cancer earlier.
It has been claimed the test for over-50s, which is being trialled on 140,000 people, can spot 50 types of cancer. The test could possibly prevent one in ten cancer deaths and save up to 16,000 deaths per year.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the trial could benefit "thousands" could benefit from a diagnosis even before symptoms appear. It is hoped it will be rolled out nationwide by 2024, and reach up to a million people, BirminghamLive reports.
Ms Pritchard said: "The NHS will not stand still in our efforts to catch cancer earlier and save more lives, rolling out new and innovative ways to detect cancers sooner; from roaming liver trucks, to genetic testing and high street checks, we want to make it as easy as possible for those most at risk to get vital, lifesaving tests.
"Today marks an important milestone in our long-term efforts to catch and treat cancer earlier – we know that certain cancers are harder to detect and a late diagnosis can be devastating for patients and their families, and this trial means thousands could benefit from a diagnosis even before symptoms appear."
Temi, a trial participant from Peckham in London said: "I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer. It is a type of cancer that you often don't know about until it has become advanced and then there's little you can do.
"I'm a nurse and have seen first-hand that cancer does not respect people's race or background. However, research into early cancer detection gives me hope for the future. So, when I got the opportunity to join the NHS-Galleri trial, I felt this was something I need to get involved with".
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