Revolutionary blood test can detect common cancers with 99% accuracy - UK trial launched

Thousands of patients will be offered a cutting-edge blood test that can detect 12 of the most lethal and common with 99% accuracy, the Health Secretary will announce on Wednesday. The test works by measuring microRNA in a blood sample and using to search for traces of the disease. If cancer is detected, the technology can also reveal where it is located in the body.

The Government has awarded researchers at startup Xgenera and the University of Southampton £2.4 million for further development, which will include a trial of 8,000 patients. While the study will look for all 12 cancers, health officials hope the test could particularly revolutionise diagnosis of , which is difficult to catch early when survival rates are highest.

will announce the investment during a visit to the Bowelbabe Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute in .

Funded by Cancer Research UK, the lab has been renamed in memory of campaigner Dame Deborah James, who died of the disease aged 40 in 2022.

The Health Secretary said: "From my own experience, I know the devastating toll cancer can take on patients and families, and how many of them have been faced with long waiting lists to get the diagnosis and treatment they deserve.

"We know that the key to surviving cancer is catching it as early as possible, so this government is taking the urgent action needed to make sure that happens through our Plan for Change, from developing world leading technology to detect bowel cancer earlier, through to setting up hubs for the UK's top scientists to research and treat the disease.

"Dame Deborah James dedicated her life to raising awareness for cancer and finding ways that we can beat it, so it is only right that we honour her legacy by investing in research to help stop one of the country's biggest killers."

The Department of Health and Social Care said the trial would help to place Britain "at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare".

Research suggests the test, known as miONCO-Dx, can detect 12 cancers at an early stage with 99% accuracy. However, a larger trial is now needed to ensure it is fit for purpose for the NHS.

The test was developed using data from more than 20,000 patients. If rolled out, it could be cheaper than current diagnostic tools and spare patients from having unnecessary biopsies.

More than 42,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, making it the UK's fourth most common cancer. Nine in ten of those diagnosed early at stage one survive for at least five years, compared with just one in 10 diagnosed at stage 4.

The Bowelbabe Laboratory will also bring together leading scientists to develop new treatments for the disease.

Dame Deborah bravely shared her cancer journey with the public through her podcast and regular social media updates, helping to raise vital awareness.

Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said the campaigner had "touched the lives of so many, and her legacy is supporting people affected by bowel cancer across the country".

She added: "This NIHR trial shows the importance of research and the impact new technology and developments could have.

"The upcoming National Cancer Plan for England is an opportunity for the UK Government to improve the lives of not just bowel cancer patients, but all cancer patients."

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for England, said: "This blood test has the potential to help us detect bowel cancer earlier and reduce the need for invasive tests, and the next step in this trial will now be vital in gathering further evidence on its effectiveness and how it could work in practice.

"Dame Deborah James was a tireless and inspirational campaigner who helped change the national conversation on bowel cancer - it's fitting that this lab in her name will drive forward research that could help thousands more people survive the disease."