In this blog, Dr Hannah Harrison, NIHR Systematic Review Methods Fellow at the Prevention Group, introduces research on approaches to screening for kidney cancer. Hannah and her colleagues looked at the usefulness of mathematical models predicting the likelihood of an individual developing kidney cancer in a recently conducted systematic review, published on 14 July 2020 […]
New guideline for colorectal cancer screening prioritises informed choice over maximised uptake
A new BMJ Guideline on colorectal cancer screening, prepared by a panel including Dr Juliet Usher-Smith at the Primary Care Unit, is the first to avoid a blanket recommendation for colorectal cancer screening for all above a specific age. Instead the guideline suggests a personalized and risk-based approach for people aged 50 to 79 with […]
Reducing health risks for mothers who develop diabetes during pregnancy: new study explores women’s experiences of post-partum screening
Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy – called gestational diabetes or GDM – have a relatively high risk of developing type 2 diabetes after their babies are born. Blood tests to screen for diabetes after the birth of the baby, and annually thereafter, are recommended to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment. However, many women […]
Could screening for a common heart condition called atrial fibrillation help prevent strokes?
Could screening for atrial fibrillation – an underdiagnosed heart condition – help prevent strokes? Researchers from the University of Cambridge, leading a consortium of academic partners, are beginning work this month in East Anglia on the largest trial to date of screening for atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart condition that causes an […]
What should doctors say to men asking for a PSA test?
The evidence behind prostate cancer screening – including the latest large trial of prostate cancer screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test – shows no difference in prostate cancer mortality after 10 years, according to a review published in the BMJ last week. Neither the US Preventive Services Task Force nor Public Health England recommend population […]
New research to explore whether inviting people for screening based on their risk rather than their age alone can improve efficiency of screening programme
Dr Juliet Usher-Smith, an academic general practitioner from the Primary Care Unit (PCU) at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded a grant of almost £65,000 from Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer. The research will investigate whether people living in England should be invited to take part in the bowel cancer screening programme […]