Media Monitoring – 19th – 26th August 2022

Novel womb cancer test less invasive and cuts diagnosis time

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology discovered that low-cost PCR tests which use samples from the cervix or vagina could successfully detect womb cancer
Current testing for womb cancer is invasive or painful – such as a transvaginal ultrasound or a biopsy
Early results showed effectiveness across all groups – regardless of age, ethnicity, being pre- or post-menopausal, and the stage, grade and type of cancer they have

‘Forever chemicals’ common in most homes can now be destroyed

These chemicals, know as PFAS, have been linked serious health risks, such as cancer or birth defects following exposure
They are resistant to water, oil and stains, making them highly useful, however, this has also meant they have been thitherto difficult to destroy
Typical methods for destroying PFAS, such as incineration, have proved costly and largely ineffective
The research team found a new mechanism to break down the PFAS by using a common chemical called sodium hydroxide – used in items such as soap and painkillers – which targets a group of weaker charged oxygen atoms which causes it to fall apart

New method discovered to identify small lung cell cancer from a blood test

University of Manchester researchers, with help from other research organisations, have found a way of potentially diagnosing small lung cell cancer via a blood test
This method analysed blood samples to find specific DNA modifications called methylation that change early on in the growth of cancer
The researchers needed to make sure that they could detect even very low levels of DNA present in the blood which has been released from the tumour

Hopes for a life-saving test to identify those at risk of heart attack or stroke

A life-saving test which could be used by doctors to detect the true age of a patient’s blood vessels to identify those at risk of a heart attack or stroke is being developed by University of Bradford scientists
Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman is leading research into the causes of early vascular ageing and how it can be detected in order to deliver early interventions
The aim is to design a test that can be carried out in a GP’s surgery which can tell the relative age of a patient’s vessels and why they have prematurely aged
One aspect of the research is looking at the links between major blood vessels of the heart and smaller blood vessels in the skin to see if they share common signatures

Potential PM Liz Truss planning to divert NHS funds to social care

Frontrunner Liz Truss told a hustings on Tuesday that she intended to divert £13 billion earmarked to tackle the COVID backlog to social care
Ms Truss stated, “I would spend that money in social care. Quite a lot has gone to the NHS. I would give it to local authorities. We have people in beds in the NHS who would be better off in social care. So put that money into social care”
She has also claimed NHS staff have blamed local-decision making rather than lack of funding for certain failures

COVID death toll double this summer compared to 2021

Although COVID deaths remain drastically lower this year than last, this summer’s death toll is 95% higher than the previous summer
The higher figure can be explained by Omicron subvariants and contrasts with lower overall numbers for year to date

Novel blood test could prevent up to 1 in 10 cancer deaths

The NHS are trialing a blood test for over-50s which could prevent as many as 1 in 10 cancer deaths – the equivalent of 16,000 deaths a year
The trial is already succeeding as hundreds of the 140,000 volunteers have been referred for further tests, with half expected to have cancer
The tests also give hope that diagnosis rates will improve for hard-to-detect cancers, such as ovarian and pancreatic cancer, which are often diagnosed at a point where the cancer will ultimately prove fatal