Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) rates are increasing worldwide, with high mortality and a high proportion of patients asymptomatic at diagnosis – so should we be screening for RCC? Patients with kidney cancer, their caregivers and clinicians alike, define the study of early detection and treatment of RCC as one of their top research priorities. The […]
The BEST3 trial: is the Cytosponge TFF3 biomarker test oven-ready for primary care?
The Cytosponge test could help diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus in people who are on medication for long term heartburn. A clinical trial led by Prof Rebecca Fitzgerald in Cambridge was published on 1st August 2020 in The Lancet. Here, CanTest Chair Prof Greg Rubin, who contributed primary care expertise to the trial, explains more about the test and […]
Imaging activity possibly signalling missed diagnostic opportunities in bladder and kidney cancer: a longitudinal data-linkage study using primary care electronic health records
Blog by Dr Yin Zhou, Clinical Research Fellow, Cancer Group Patterns of events before the diagnosis of cancer may reveal ‘signals’ for missed diagnostic opportunities for patients. Earlier research, including from our CanTest collaborators in Denmark, has shown that increase in background rate of consultations, prescriptions and laboratory test use occur long before cancer diagnosis. […]
Which cancer diagnostic tests will work best in primary care? New CanTest Framework published today will help provide answers
The CanTest Framework, which provides a conceptual approach for the evaluation of cancer diagnostic tests from development to routine use in primary care, has been published today in BMC Cancer. Developed by the CanTest Senior Faculty team, this new framework addresses some key aspects missing from previous approaches. It incorporates a shift in focus away […]
Further research needed to identify possible warning signs of brain tumours, say experts
Experts at the University of Cambridge have called for more research that might improve the early detection of brain tumours, following a qualitative study that suggests there are subtle changes in the patient’s functioning and wellbeing that might act as tell-tale signs of the onset of disease. The researchers caution that this research will also […]
A simple questionnaire could be a cost-effective way to monitor for melanoma skin cancer
Melanoma is rare, but also the most dangerous form of skin cancer, with around 14,500 new cases diagnosed and 2600 deaths in the UK each year. Early detection is critical: overall, around 90 in every 100 patients with melanoma will still be alive five years after diagnosis. But for those diagnosed with advanced disease, only […]