Past prescriptions could help GPs diagnose cancer
Patients could be diagnosed with Cancer more quickly if GPs examined their past prescriptions, scientists claim. Scientists at Cancer Research UK and Public Health England are to launch a major trial to examine the 960 million prescriptions handed out by GPs each year. Another patient might be given medication for irritable bowel syndrome but later diagnosed with bowel cancer or ovarian cancer, which have similar symptoms. Patients could be diagnosed with cancer more quickly if GPs examined their past prescriptions, scientists claim (file photo)They will look for trends to see whether patients recently prescribed a course of drugs for a chronic or ongoing condition were later diagnosed with cancer. The results of the trial could lead to the guidance for GPs on spotting cancer being completely overhauled.
And this is even lower in cancers with poor survival rates such as pancreatic, stomach, ovarian and brain Cancer. This research is being led by Health Data Insight which has received funding through Cancer Research UK's Pioneer Awards scheme. Cancer Research UK-funded scientists are to examine whether identifying patterns in medication given to patients before they develop cancer could improve early diagnosis. "We want to develop a tool that helps GPs diagnose cancer earlier in the hope of saving more lives." For example, small studies from Denmark have found that many lung cancer patients had a history of being given prescriptions for antibiotics.
collected by :Lucy William
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