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Digital pathology to improve cancer screening and save lives


Screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancer will be made quicker and more effective under plans to roll out the use of digital images to detect cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care is taking forward the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee to increase the use of digital pathology to examine body tissue samples as part of screening programmes. This will help: clinicians to gain second opinions on whether samples obtained are cancerous; laboratories to work more efficiently and quickly, including allowing reporting off site; make it easier to identify cancer; and speed up diagnosis for patients. The announcement comes after the NHS expanded the bowel cancer screening programme earlier this month, sending out hundreds of thousands of testing kits for people to use at home to detect cancer at an earlier stage. In 2020, the UK National Screening Committee


was asked by the National Coordinating Committee for Breast Pathology and the Royal College of Pathologists to consider the evidence regarding the use of whole slide imaging. This is a technique that allows slides to be reviewed digitally on a computer screen, rather than with a microscope. The technology enables an image of the entire glass slide to be created in high resolution, which can then be stored and viewed on a computer screen or mobile device and saved for later review. A trial then assessed whether using digital


microscopy was as effective as using microscopes


Six million vital checks carried out at local diagnostic hubs


and slides for screening samples and, with results confirming it was, the committee agreed it is a safe option to complement or replace light microscopy. Chair of the UK National Screening Committee


Professor, Sir Mike Richards, said: “We need a high level of evidence when it comes to screening programmes so, alongside the National institute for Health and Care Research, we sponsored vital research to assess the effectiveness of this technique. Following that research, I’m pleased that the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to allow the use of digital pathology has been approved. Its use will support flexibility for pathologists, and make sharing samples for second opinions or quality assurance easier and more efficient.”


More than six million tests, scans and health checks have taken place at community diagnostic centres (CDCs) across the country, helping speed up diagnoses and treatments for NHS patients. A total of 6.1 million checks were carried out at CDCs as of November 2023, since they were first introduced in July 2021. Based in a variety of settings including shopping centres, university campuses and football stadiums, 141 of the diagnostic centres, including four temporary sites, are already open - including 40 brought forward earlier than planned. They offer patients a wide range of diagnostic tests closer to home and greater choice on where and how they are treated, reducing the need for hospital visits and helping them to receive potentially life-saving care sooner. Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria


Atkins, said: “The government’s £2.3 billion community diagnostic centre programme is the largest investment in MRI and CT scanning capacity in the history of the NHS. “Placing high-tech equipment in places like shopping centres and near football stadiums makes it simpler for patients to get the care they need, as quickly as possible. We have now opened 141 CDCs across England, with more to come, and they are playing a vital role in faster diagnosis.”


Study highlights impact of climate change on spread of diarrhoeal illness


Temperature, day length and humidity have been found to be linked to the increased spread of a diarrhoeal illness, a new study from the University of Surrey reveals. The findings could help predict further outbreaks of the illness, potentially leading to better preparedness within health services. Researchers, led by Dr. Giovanni Lo Iacono,


investigated the impact of weather on the transmission of campylobacteriosis, a bacterial infection which can cause diarrhoea and stomach pains. Infections are generally mild, but can be fatal among very young children, elderly, and immunosuppressed individuals. Dr. Giovanni Lo Iacono, Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, at the University of Surrey, said: “We now have a detailed description of how the weather affects the disease, and the next step is to understand the why. Importantly, through our transparent and conceptually simple approach, we can now tell the risk of getting the disease when


we know the recent local weather.” Researchers analysed data from approximately one million cases of campylobacteriosis in England and Wales over a 20-year period from UKHSA. An innovative mathematical model was developed by the team enabling them to compare this data provided by the Met Office with weather parameters at the time. Analysis of this data showed incidences of


campylobacteriosis were consistent below temperatures of eight degrees Celsius. However, a sharp increase in infection (approximately one case per million) were observed for every five degree rise in temperature, where temperatures were between eight to 15 degrees Celsius. A link to humidity was identified by the team who also observed high incidents of infection when levels of water vapour in the air were between 75- 80 percent. Interestingly, researchers observed strong associations between day length (longer


than 10 hours) and increased cases of the illness. This association was further strengthened when humidity was also high. Rainfall and wind- speed were not strongly linked to the spread of campylobacteriosis. Dr. Lo Iacono, added: “What we have found is that rising temperatures, humidity and increased day length are associated with the spread of campylobacteriosis. We do not fully understand why this may be. It could be that warm weather increases the survival and spread of pathogenic bacteria (so the weather causes the disease) or alternatively it could be people’s behaviour and how they socialise during such periods. However, what we do know is climate change not only has an environmental impact but has the potential to negatively affect our health by aiding the spread of infectious diseases.” The study was published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.


February 2024 I www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 11


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