NHS launches drive to catch one of the most lethal cancers

Hundreds of GP Practices will comb patient records to offer urgent tests to people most at risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.

GP teams will scour online patients records to identify people over 60 who have the key early warning signs of pancreatic cancer including being recently diagnosed with diabetes and sudden weight loss.

Even if a patient's weight is not recorded, GP teams will reach out to patients to check they have not unexpectedly slimmed down and offer them tests if they have new onset diabetes.

Around half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have been diagnosed with diabetes recently.

Family doctors taking part in the pilot will then contact patients and send them for urgent blood tests and CT scans to rule out cancer.

Most people with pancreatic cancer only recognise symptoms when their disease is at a late stage, but the NHS wants to reach out to people as early as possible so they can get the best treatment.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK with only 7% of people living 5 years or more after diagnosis.

More than 300 GP practices across England will begin using the initiative with dozens rolling it out now with the rest up and running in the Autumn.

GP teams already know the signs to look for, but this new scheme provides almost £2m in targeted funding to help practices reach out to those most at risk and give patients the best chance of being diagnosed earlier.

Local GP practices will carry out searches of patient records as part of a three-year pilot using their GP IT systems to identify patients who have the symptoms.

The initiative will test whether dedicated routine searches of patient records can lead to earlier diagnosis of the devastating disease, and better outcomes.

The latest NHS statistics show that more than 200,000 people were diagnosed or given the all clear for cancer in April within 28-days – a key target - 11,500 more than the previous year (197,882).

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer: “Pancreatic cancer is responsible for so many deaths because patients don't usually notice symptoms until the cancer is at an advanced stage, which is why we need to find new ways to pick it up.

“Through initiatives like this and the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan the NHS is determined to go a step further – not just treat people at an advanced stage but to go out into communities and seek people out who might be unwell without any symptoms so we can provide people with the most effective treatment.

“The NHS is seeing and treating more people with cancer than ever, and early diagnosis is key to ensure patients have the best chance of receiving effective treatment.

“If your GP practice identifies you as at risk of pancreatic cancer, I urge you to come forward for testing as soon as possible.”

The latest NHS statistics show that more than 200,000 people were diagnosed or given the all clear for cancer in April within 28-days – a key target - 11,500 more than the previous year (197,882).

Health Minister, Karin Smyth, said: "As someone who has faced cancer personally, I know all too well the fear that comes with a diagnosis and the precious value of catching it early.

“This targeted approach to identify people at risk of one of the most lethal cancers could give more people a fighting chance and spare the heartbreak of countless families.

"Through our Plan for Change, we are utilising the latest technology and techniques to improve cancer outcomes and transform care to give more families hope in the face of this devastating disease."

Alfie Bailey-Bearfield, Head of Influencing & Health Improvement, at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “Diagnosing more people with pancreatic cancer earlier, when the disease is most treatable, would make the single biggest difference to improving survival, so we are delighted to see significant further investment from NHS England towards that incredibly important goal.

“We're proud to have been involved in shaping this new case finding pilot, which will support GPs to proactively find people with pancreatic cancer among one of largest groups known to be at increased risk: those aged over 60, with new onset diabetes who have recently lost weight without trying to do so. Many of the people who are referred for a CT scan during the pilot will not have pancreatic cancer, but for those that do, the impact could be lifesaving. 

“Subject to the pilot's success, we will be calling for this pilot to be expanded across the country to help give more people affected by the deadliest common cancer the very best chance of survival.

Last year NHSE partnered with Pancreatic Cancer UK, to launch a first-of-its-kind tool, The Family History Checker, which will help to identify people with inherited risk of the disease and refer them for regular monitoring – giving them the very best chance of being diagnosed early.

10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year, one in 10 cases are inherited and more than half of people die within three months of diagnosis.

Dr Agnieszka Lemanska, Senior Lecturer in Health Data Science at the University of Surrey and Lead Evaluator for the pilot, said: “With this initiative, we are employing digital health technology to detect pancreatic cancer earlier and more efficiently.

“Unexplained weight loss can be an early warning sign, especially in people with diabetes, but it is not always picked up. We are creating tools which will help us use GP records more effectively to identify people through simple body weight and blood glucose control measurements.

This could be key to spotting pancreatic cancer early. The success of this pilot relies on high quality and complete GP data, and with this scheme we are working to improve monitoring of body weight and blood glucose control.”