Urgent pancreatic cancer tests will be offered on the NHS for those who are most at risk.
GPs taking part in the NHS pilot will reach out to patients who have the key early warning signs of pancreatic cancer and send them for urgent tests to rule out the illness.
People over the age of 60 with key symptoms, such as recently being diagnosed with diabetes or who experience sudden weight loss, could be contacted for urgent blood tests and CT scans.
Even patients whose weight is not recorded may be contacted, as a doctor may wish to check for new-onset diabetes or sudden weight loss.
New digital health technology will be used to detect pancreatic cancer earlier and help use GP records more effectively to identify people through body weight and blood glucose control measurements.
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with 10,000 people diagnosed a year - 10 per cent of cases are inherited, and more than half of people die within three months of diagnosis. Around half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have also had a recent diabetes diagnosis.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, urged the need to find new ways of picking up the symptoms as the cancer is “responsible for so many deaths because patients don’t usually notice symptoms until the cancer is at an advanced stage.”
“Through initiatives like this and the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan, the NHS is determined to go a step further – not just treat people at an advanced stage but to go out into communities and seek people out who might be unwell without any symptoms so we can provide people with the most effective treatment.
“The NHS is seeing and treating more people with cancer than ever, and early diagnosis is key to ensure patients have the best chance of receiving effective treatment.
“If your GP practice identifies you as at risk of pancreatic cancer, I urge you to come forward for testing as soon as possible.”
More than 300 GP practices across England will begin to use the initiative now, which has received almost £2m in targeted funding, while the rest will have the pilot up and running in the autumn.
The scheme will test whether dedicated routine searches of patient records can lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease and better outcomes.
Local practices will carry out searches of patient records as part of a three-year pilot using their GP IT systems to identify patients who have the symptoms.
The initiative comes after NHS England partnered with Pancreatic Cancer UK last year to launch a first-of-its-kind tool, the Family History Checker, to help identify people with an inherited risk of the disease and refer them for regular monitoring – giving them the very best chance of being diagnosed early.
Health minister Karin Smyth welcomed the initiative as someone who has personally faced cancer.
“I know all too well the fear that comes with a diagnosis and the precious value of catching it early,” she said. “This targeted approach to identify people at risk of one of the most lethal cancers could give more people a fighting chance and spare the heartbreak of countless families.
“Through our Plan for Change, we are utilising the latest technology and techniques to improve cancer outcomes and transform care to give more families hope in the face of this devastating disease.”
