NHS to evaluate blood test that can detect 12 cancers

A new blood test capable of detecting a dozen cancers before symptoms appear is undergoing evaluation for potential use in the NHS. Health secretary Wes Streeting announced government backing for the next testing phase of this groundbreaking technology, which can identify cancers, including bowel cancer.

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Speaking at an event dedicated to renaming a cancer laboratory in honour of the late Dame Deborah James, Mr Streeting emphasised the test's potential to improve cancer survival rates.

He said: "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."

Dame Deborah, a prominent campaigner for bowel cancer awareness, passed away from the disease in 2022 at the age of 40.

The newly named Bowelbabe Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute in London, funded by Cancer Research UK, will be central to this research effort.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the laboratory will house leading scientists conducting cutting-edge research.

The department also said that patients, including those with bowel cancer, could soon benefit from the test.