NHS Devon using blood test algorithm to help spot cancer sooner

After reviewing data from more than six million adults over the age of 40 in Canada, England and Australia, scientists found the natural variation in platelet count could be used to diagnose cancer sooner.

If the algorithm is rolled out across the NHS nationally, the team believe it could identify 10,000 patients a year who have a raised blood platelet count before a cancer diagnosis.

Prof Tim McDonald, clinical director for pathology at the Blood Sciences Laboratories at the trust, said “one of the big aims of the NHS is to diagnose cancers earlier”.

“At the moment, we diagnose just over 50% of cancers at what we consider an early stage,” he said.

“There’s an aim by 2028 to make that 75% and this is the type of research which will allow us to do that.”