Patients trial blood test for detecting cancers

Ian Robinson (centre) is taking part in the trial at Southampton

Hundreds of patients in Hampshire and Dorset are taking part in a trial for a blood test aimed at detecting early stage cancer.

The Enlighten test looks for certain proteins that indicate the immune system is responding to the first signs of the disease.

It is also being evaluated to see if it can identify the type of cancer detected.

Led by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, the Modernised study aims to recruit 1,000 patients across the two counties, with 450 already signed up.

Ian Robinson, a 72 year-old grandfather from Fawley, agreed to take part in the Southampton trial after an NHS bowel cancer screening kit led to a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

He said: "There were no symptoms, no pain, nothing, so you would never know until it was much more advanced and therefore much more difficult to treat.

"Obviously the team here is helping me, so I'm delighted to participate and hopefully help improve the way things are done."

Dr Victoria Goss said improving early diagnosis was a priority

Researchers will take blood samples from people with 10 solid tumour types, including bladder, breast, lung, prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, oesophageal and renal.

It will also include patients with colorectal tumours and melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

Dr Victoria Goss, Associate Professor and Head of Early Diagnosis Research at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, said: "When cancers are diagnosed later, there are often fewer treatment options available to patients.

"Improving early diagnosis is therefore a priority for us as researchers and for the NHS.

"But currently there are only four screening programmes in the UK and screening is only for one cancer at a time, so we are aiming to develop simple tests that can potentially pick up the signs of multiple cancers, giving the best possible chance of early, successful treatment."

Southampton Clinical Trials Unit is working with biotech company Prototype Diagnostics with patients from hospitals in Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester.

The trial, which is also due to open in Manchester, is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Invention for Innovation programme and the Office for Life Sciences.