NHS Trial Launches Multi-Cancer Blood Tests in 200 GP Surgeries

New blood tests for multiple cancers to begin trial in English GP surgeries

More than 20,000 patients in England will soon have access to a new type of blood test designed to screen for multiple cancers simultaneously. As reported by the BBC, these tests are being rolled out across approximately 200 GP surgeries as part of a government-funded trial aimed at catching difficult-to-diagnose abdominal cancers in their earliest stages.

The trial, known as STRIDE-RCT, is being led by the University of Birmingham. It focuses on a wide range of malignancies, including bowel, small bowel, stomach, oesophageal, pancreatic, liver, bile duct, gallbladder, ovarian, endometrial, kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers. Participants in the study—all aged 45 and over—will provide one or two tubes of blood at their local practice alongside their routine testing. Researchers will then analyze these samples for proteins or fragments of DNA that may signal the presence of a tumor, potentially even pinpointing its location in the body.

The stakes for early detection are significant. In England, roughly 71,000 people are diagnosed annually with pancreatic, stomach, liver, ovarian, or bowel cancers, a group of diseases that accounts for nearly 35,000 deaths each year. Because many of these cancers present with vague symptoms, they are often not identified until they have already spread.

The difficulty of detecting abdominal cancers

Identifying these specific types of cancer is a major clinical challenge. Prof Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, noted that detecting abdominal cancer is “notoriously difficult” because the symptoms can easily be mistaken for less serious conditions. By catching these diseases earlier, doctors can provide patients with a much higher chance of successful treatment and survival.

The STRIDE-RCT trial aims to determine if these multi-cancer blood tests are accurate enough to justify a wider rollout across the NHS. However, the path to implementing such technology is not without previous setbacks. The BBC reported that a separate NHS trial involving a test called Galleri recently failed to meet its primary objective of reducing the diagnosis of late-stage cancers, though researchers continue to evaluate its potential benefits.

“GPs have long needed better tools to help them navigate that uncertainty by identifying which patients require further testing and this trial in England is an important step towards addressing that need.” Cancer Research UK

Michelle Mitchell from Cancer Research UK echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of providing general practitioners with better diagnostic tools to manage patient uncertainty.

How the testing process works for patients

For those eligible to participate, the process is designed to integrate into existing medical workflows. Patients experiencing symptoms such as pain or persistent bloating will be invited to take part. While the technology is promising, medical experts emphasize that the results are not absolute. A positive result does not automatically confirm a cancer diagnosis, and a negative result cannot be viewed as a guaranteed all-clear.

A stock photo of a woman with dark skin and black hair being given a blood test in what looks like a GP surgery — Photo: bbc.co.uk

Instead, the tests are intended to serve as a screening mechanism to help doctors decide which symptomatic patients require more intensive, urgent investigations. Health secretary Yvette Cooper expressed hope that these simple blood tests would assist in identifying those in need of immediate medical attention much sooner.

The trial will continue to assess the accuracy and clinical utility of the STRIDE-RCT method to see if it can overcome the hurdles that have faced previous multi-cancer detection attempts. The ultimate goal remains a shift in the diagnostic timeline, moving from late-stage discovery to early-stage intervention.