‘Game-changing’ online test to find risk of breast cancer
THE most comprehensive ever test to assess a woman’s risk of breast cancer has been created by scientists.
GPs are able to calculate the risk by combining data on family history and genetic blood tests with other factors, such as weight, age at menopause and alcohol consumption.
The online calculator is being hailed as a “game changer” in early diagnosis to improve UK survival rates, which lag behind many EU countries.
The algorithm, developed by Cancer Research UK, uses up to 150,000 patient data records. It helps medics decide whether to put some women forward for screening early.
It could also be used to target women at risk with lifestyle advice to prevent the disease developing or to prescribe them the preventative drug tamoxifen.
GPs, practice nurses and oncologists in the east of England are being asked to test this tool before it is considered for a national rollout.
Lead author Prof Antonis Antoniou, of Cambridge University, said: “This is the first time anyone has combined so many elements into one prediction tool. It could be a game changer as now we can identify large numbers of women with different levels of risk, not just women who are at high risk.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Britain, with 55,000 women diagnosed every year.
The new tool prompts doctors to answer a series of online questions about their patient including their medical and family history, whether they have any known genetic alterations linked to cancer, their weight and whether they drink alcohol.
Patients of any age could request their data be run through the system.
Clinical effectiveness is being tested by using actors posing as patients.
Prof Antoniou added: “We are testing how easy it is to use, for example in GP surgeries where it has to be quite fast. This tool should help doctors to tailor the care they provide depending on their patient’s level of risk.
“Some women may need additional appointments with their doctor to discuss screening or prevention options and others may just need advice on lifestyle and diet.
“We hope this means more people can be diagnosed early and survive their disease for longer.”
For the first time researchers took into account more than 300 genetic indicators for breast cancer which may have shown up in previous blood tests, making calculating the risk more precise than ever before. Other measures to be considered include whether or not the woman has used hormone replacement therapy. A separate study is looking at the accuracy of the online calculator’s predictions.
Dr Richard Roope, head of general practice for Cancer Research UK, said: “Research like this is hugely exciting because in the future it will enable us to offer much more tailored care which will benefit patients and make best use of the services we have available.
“Although having an increased risk of breast cancer means a woman is more likely to develop the disease it is by no means a certainty.
“A woman at high risk may never get breast cancer just as a woman at low risk still could.”