NEWS
2023 – a record- breaking year for NHS cancer checks
More people than ever before are getting tested for cancer with almost three million checks carried out in 2023, new analysis shows. Almost three million people (2,980,258) were seen for urgent cancer checks over the last year (Nov 2022 to Oct 2023) – the highest year on record. The number is up by 147,960 on the same period last year, and up over a quarter (622,562) on the same period before the pandemic (2,357,696). The new analysis also shows there has been a 133% increase in the number of people getting checked for cancer over the last decade – with 1,275,231 urgent cancer referrals between Nov 2012 to Oct 2013. This record year of checks has been delivered despite NHS staff managing one of the busiest winters ever in addition to unprecedented industrial action. The NHS has also made progress
towards its ambition to diagnose three quarters of cancers at stage one or two when they are easier to treat. For the first time, the rapid registration data shows 58% of cancers were diagnosed at stage one or two between September 2022 and August 2023– which is around 2.1% points above the level before the pandemic. One of the ways that the NHS is catching cancers earlier
is through the hugely successful NHS lung health check programme – mobile trucks go into the heart of communities to offer checks at shopping centres and supermarket car parks, has now diagnosed almost 3,000 people with lung cancer – three quarters at stage one or two.
Dame Cally Palmer, National Cancer
Director for NHS England (pictured), said: “More people than ever before have received potentially lifesaving checks for cancer over the last year, which is a testament to the hard work of NHS staff who have delivered this level of care, despite an extremely challenging year and unprecedented industrial action.
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The Association for Laboratory Medicine reveals new name
The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine has changed its name to the Association for Laboratory Medicine and unveiled its new logo and branding. The Association’s website has also relaunched with the new identity at
www.labmed.org.uk. The Association commented: “This new name and brand better reflects our current members, is open and inclusive to new members in other disciplines in laboratory medicine. This will support our ambition of becoming the voice of laboratory medicine for our members, our partners and the general public.” The change in name was agreed after members were surveyed in March 2023 and ratified at the AGM in June 2023. As a membership organisation the Association says it is aiming to change and innovate in order to respond to its member’s needs as well as the changing environment that impacts on laboratory medicine. The Association aims to continue growing membership with its current
target audience, particularly in fields of immunology and microbiology which are currently underrepresented, but also to diversify its membership to other fields of laboratory medicine. Association President Katharine Hayden said: “The evolution of our name better reflects the breadth of our membership and provides us with the opportunity to bring together scientists who play a key role in influencing best practice in service delivery and diagnostic innovation, and to respond to the changing roles and clinical practice of professionals across laboratory medicine.”
Landmark study supports whole genome sequencing in standard cancer care
In the largest study of its kind, a newly published research paper reports how combining health data with whole genome sequence (WGS) data in patients with cancer can help doctors provide more tailored care for their patients. The research, published in Nature Medicine, shows that linking WGS data to real-world clinical data can identify changes in cancer DNA that may be relevant for an individual patient’s care, for example by helping identify what treatment might work best for them based on their cancer. The study, led by Genomics England, NHS England, Queen Mary University of London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Westminster, analysed data covering over 30 types of solid tumours collected from more than 13,000 participants with cancer in the 100,000 Genomes Project. By looking at the genomic data alongside routine clinical data collected from participants over a five-year period, such
as hospital visits and the type of treatment they received, scientists were able to find specific genetic changes in the cancer associated with better or worse survival rates and improved patient outcomes. The study showed that WGS could
provide a more comprehensive view of a tumour’s genetic landscape by detecting various genetic changes using a single test. The analysis also revealed patterns across several cancers and uncovered different types of genetic changes that might explain response to treatment or predict possible patient outcomes. Together, the findings show the value of combining genomic and clinical data at scale to help healthcare professionals make the best treatment decisions with their patients. n Sosinsky A, Ambrose J, Cross W et al. Insights for precision oncology from the integration of genomic and clinical data of 13,880 tumors from the 100,000 Genomes Cancer Programme. Nat Med. Published online January 11, 2024. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02682-0
FEBRUARY 2024
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