More than 20,000 patients are expected to take part in an NHS trial examining whether blood tests can help GPs identify people who need urgent investigation for cancer.
The study, called STRIDE-RCT, is being launched across at least 200 GP practices in England. It will offer participation to patients aged 45 and over who visit a participating practice with abdominal symptoms such as persistent bloating or discomfort.
Researchers led by the University of Birmingham will assess a range of tests designed to look for signs of several cancers from a blood sample. The aim is to help doctors recognise possible cancers earlier, but the trial has not yet established whether the tests improve diagnosis or patient outcomes.
How the tests could help
Symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating are common and can have many causes. This can make it difficult to decide which patients need urgent specialist tests, particularly when symptoms do not point clearly to one condition.
The tests being studied use different techniques. These include measuring proteins in the blood, looking for fragments of tumour DNA and using artificial intelligence to analyse signals. They are intended to flag possible cancer and suggest where in the body it may have originated.
Most tests in the trial will involve taking one or two tubes of blood at a GP practice alongside routine blood tests. The study will examine how well the results work alongside a GP’s judgement, rather than treating the blood test as a diagnosis on its own.
A positive result does not mean someone definitely has cancer. It could help a GP and patient decide whether further investigation or an urgent referral is needed. Equally, a negative result is not a guaranteed all-clear. Persistent or concerning symptoms still need clinical assessment and follow-up.
The cancers covered by the study include bowel, stomach, pancreatic, liver, ovarian, kidney, bladder and prostate cancer. The programme also covers cancers of the small bowel, oesophagus, bile duct, gallbladder and womb lining.
Who is involved
Practices are expected to include those serving inner-city, rural, coastal and deprived communities. The intention is to assess the approach across a range of settings rather than drawing conclusions from one type of population.
The Office for Life Sciences is providing up to £8.49 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The number of patients and practices describes the planned scale of the study; it does not mean that recruitment is complete or that every eligible patient will be offered a test at their own surgery.
The Department of Health and Social Care says that between 2% and 6% of urgent cancer referrals currently result in a diagnosis. Researchers want to see whether additional information from blood tests can help clinicians decide who needs further tests. Any effect on referrals, waiting times or outcomes remains to be established.
In England, about 71,000 people are diagnosed each year with pancreatic, stomach, liver, ovarian or bowel cancer, and almost 35,000 people die from those cancers. The figures underline the importance of research into earlier diagnosis, but they do not predict how many people this particular trial might help.
Evidence still to be gathered
The new study is different from the earlier NHS-Galleri trial, which examined a single multi-cancer blood test alongside existing screening. That trial did not meet its main goal: there was no overall difference between the groups in the number of people diagnosed with stage 3 and stage 4 cancers when those stages were considered together. Researchers did report fewer stage 4 diagnoses in the group offered the test.
STRIDE-RCT focuses on people who have symptoms and are attending GP practices. Its findings will be needed before a decision can be made about wider use of the tests in the NHS. It is a research programme, not a new routine screening service for everyone.
Featured image: AI-generated illustration.
