Several NHS hospitals are preparing to use an AI-powered blood test to assess women for possible womb cancer before invasive checks. The test aims to reduce the need for uncomfortable procedures.
Key facts
- •Several NHS hospitals are preparing to use an AI-powered blood test to assess womb cancer risk.
- •The test, developed by PinPoint Data Science, uses machine learning to analyze around 30 blood markers.
- •It aims to reduce the need for invasive procedures like transvaginal ultrasounds for women with suspected womb cancer.
- •A trial involving 16,481 patients showed the test correctly identified 99.1% of cancers as elevated or high risk.
- •The test costs approximately £30 and could spare about 18,000 women a year in England from needing a transvaginal ultrasound scan.
- •Mid Yorkshire and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trusts plan to deploy the test for gynaecological and other cancers.
Several NHS hospitals are preparing to implement an AI-powered blood test designed to help assess women referred for potential womb cancer. This new test aims to reduce the necessity for invasive diagnostic checks. Developed by Leeds-based PinPoint Data Science, the test uses machine learning to evaluate cancer risk from blood markers, classifying patients into low, elevated, or high-risk categories.
By the numbers
Test Function and Patient Impact
The PinPoint test analyzes approximately 30 blood markers to provide clinicians with a risk score within existing cancer referral pathways. This score can help determine if a patient requires monitoring, further investigation, or prioritized assessment. The company states the test costs around £30 and is intended to identify women at very low risk before they undergo procedures like transvaginal ultrasounds, biopsies, or hysteroscopies. It could potentially spare about one in five referred women, or around 18,000 women annually in England, from needing a transvaginal ultrasound scan.
Trial Results and Deployment Plans
The AI test is being introduced following a trial that included 16,481 patients referred through urgent suspected cancer pathways across Yorkshire. Trial results indicated that the test correctly identified 99.1% of cancers as elevated or high risk, and it delivered a negative predictive value of 99.8% for women in the lowest-risk group. Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust plans to use the test for six types of gynaecological or upper gastrointestinal cancer, while Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust intends to use it for gynaecological cancer.
Current Procedures and Expert Views
Under the current pathway for suspected reproductive system cancers, women typically undergo a pelvic examination with a transvaginal ultrasound scan, which some find uncomfortable or painful. Further checks, such as a biopsy and hysteroscopy, may follow if cancer is still suspected. Professor Sean Duffy, chief medical officer at PinPoint Data Science, highlighted the test's value in ruling out very low-risk women. Dr. Jacinta Walsh, a GP, noted the test could shorten the diagnostic process and free up capacity, while consultant gynaecologist Tracy Jackson added it could help triage patients and reduce uncomfortable investigations for those without cancer.
Broader NHS AI Deployments and Outlook
The NHS has seen other recent AI deployments, including the MEMORI system at Kent and Canterbury Hospital for assessing infection risk, an AI triage tool in the NHS App, and AI-powered chest X-ray tools for suspected lung cancer. While Cancer Research UK described the PinPoint test as promising, the charity stated that more research is needed to fully understand its benefits for patients and the NHS. Further evidence will also be required to assess the test's impact on patient outcomes, referral decisions, and NHS diagnostic capacity.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Artificial Intelligence News.
