Two new advanced predictive algorithms use information about a person’s health conditions and simple blood tests to accurately predict a patient’s chances of having a currently undiagnosed cancer, including hard to diagnose liver and oral cancers. The new models could revolutionise how cancer is detected in primary care, and make it easier for patients to get treatment at much earlier stages.
The NHS currently uses prediction algorithms, such as the QCancer scores, to combine relevant information from patient data and identify individuals deemed at high risk of having a currently undiagnosed cancer, enabling GPs and specialists to call them in for further testing. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Oxford have used the anonymised electronic health records from over…