Latest news with #NHS)England
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS rolls out liquid biopsy testing for lung cancer patients
The UK National Health Service (NHS) England has rolled out a new liquid biopsy test intended to fast-track lung cancer patients to receive targeted therapy. Liquid biopsy testing works by detecting cancer-related molecules such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) or circulating tumour cells (CTCs) that cancer cells release into the bloodstream. According to NHS England, the rollout means that up to 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer will benefit from the test each year, with the move making the UK health service the first in the world to adopt a 'blood test-first' approach to diagnosing cancer over the use of traditional tissue biopsy. Data from a pilot of the lung cancer test indicated that in some cases, patients received the results of ctDNA testing required to make treatment decisions up to 16 days sooner than with the tissue biopsy approach. The NHS has also pledged to expand liquid biopsy testing for several genetic variants in advanced breast cancer, with around 5,000 women set to benefit each year. An independent health economic assessment of the pilot estimated that the test's rollout could save the NHS up to £11m each year in lung cancer care. In addition, the test's availability signifies that some patients will avoid undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy by being more effectively triaged to receive the most appropriate targeted therapy for their cancer. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, commented: 'Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care, and it's fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country. Since April, 1,600 patients with suspected lung cancer and around 600 advanced breast cancer patients have been tested with liquid biopsy. Professor Johnson continued: 'We are already seeing the difference this test can make in lung and breast cancer – and we hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.' Beyond lung cancer, the NHS said it also assessing the viability of the test's use in other cancers, including pancreatic and gallbladder cancer. When the UK's Labour Party came to power last year, ending 14 years of Conservative rule, they outlined a plan to rejuvenate the NHS after a lengthy period of underinvestment and funding cuts by the Conservative Party. UK health and social care secretary Wes Streeting commented: 'Thanks to this government's investment and modernisation, we have already delivered faster diagnoses for tens of thousands of suspected cancer patients, and there's much more to come. 'Through our Plan for Change, we are investing in cutting-edge modern treatments and tests to make our NHS fit for the future.' "NHS rolls out liquid biopsy testing for lung cancer patients " was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Euronews
18-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
1 in 10 people aren't sure if they have long COVID. Why?
Nearly one in 10 people are uncertain about whether or not they have long COVID, according to a new analysis of survey data that comes five years after the pandemic forced people across the globe to stay at home to prevent the virus' spread. Based on a National Health Service (NHS) England survey of more than 750,000 people, the new study also shows that almost one in 20 people have long COVID, which is the name for lasting symptoms of COVID-19. The chronic post-viral condition includes symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, shortness of breath, and muscle pain. Those suffering from the condition have said it can lead to severe exhaustion and prevent them from leading normal lives. The study, which was published on Tuesday in the journal Health Expectations, also found that those living in deprived areas were more likely to have long COVID. Experts say the study's findings are in line with other prevalence estimates and added that there could be multiple factors to explain why people are unsure if they have the condition. 'If you are not told that you have long COVID, so if you don't have a clinical diagnosis… then you're likely to be unsure whether it is long COVID,' Nisreen Alwan, a professor of public health at the University of Southampton in the UK and one of the study's authors, told Euronews Health. A person saying their health deteriorated after COVID-19, which some may regard as a mild infection, 'is quite heavily stigmatised,' Alwan added, which may prevent people from talking about it or seeking diagnosis or support. The authors found that the prevalence of long COVID significantly increased with deprivation. Several groups were more likely to report having long COVID, including women, parents or carers, people who were gay, lesbian, or bisexual, as well as certain ethnic groups such as White Gypsy and Irish Traveller or those with mixed or multiple ethnic groups, and people with a long-term condition. Meanwhile, young people, men, those who were heterosexual or non‐binary, and people from other White, Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Black, or Arab backgrounds, as well as former and current smokers, were more likely to be unsure about whether they had long COVID, the authors said. 'Five years into this discussion, it [has] never been more important to have strong estimates of caseload and patient burden to support discussions on healthcare planning and medical research needs,' said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London who was not involved in the new study. He added in an email to Euronews Health that 'there's less and less tolerance for any further discussion of COVID-19 legacies and healthcare needs and a call to 'just move on''. A study published in Nature Medicine in 2024 estimated that 400 million people have long COVID globally, with an annual economic impact equivalent to $1 trillion (€954.4 billion). 'Long COVID patient groups around the world are (quite rightly) feeling desperate and let down. Many have lost their old jobs and their old lives,' Altmann said, adding that many longer cases of long COVID are in people who were unable to self-isolate in the early days of the pandemic. Researchers said the findings show a need for more awareness about the condition among the public and health workers as well as a need for better distribution of diagnosis, treatment, and support. 'Long COVID widens health inequalities, and we need to be very sensitive about that and address how we support people who are more disadvantaged if they have long COVID,' said Alwan, including encouraging them to access support and health services. Eating out with friends was a constant source of anxiety for Dulcie, a 23-year-old research student from the UK. Her throat would gurgle loudly, and her chest would tighten as gas painfully expanded in her stomach. Then one night, while scrolling on her phone, she saw a video about a rare condition - and suddenly her physical discomfort made sense: she'd never been able to burp. Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (R-CPD), also known as "no-burp syndrome," was formally identified as a medical condition in 2019, following a case series published in the National Library of Medicine by Dr Robert Bastian of the Bastian Voice Institute in the US state of Illinois. Awareness has grown since, giving sufferers a name for their affliction and online spaces to connect - most notably the noburp subreddit, which has nearly 35,000 members. "Now I know what R-CPD is, I blame it for many of the barriers to generally good physical and mental health that I face," Dulcie told Euronews Health, explaining that she also believes the condition could be the cause of her severe phobia of vomiting due to the build-up of pressure in the chest that sometimes leads to nausea. "It is actually maddening how something many consider so unimportant, burping, can actually have such a profound effect on the quality of somebody's life," she added. Despite growing evidence of its mental and physical toll, R-CPD remains widely unrecognised amongst healthcare professionals due to research being in its infancy - and societal perceptions around burping. "There is a treatment for the condition, but it is not NHS [the UK's National Health Service] approved yet because lots of doctors don't know about the condition, or don't consider it to be a problem," Mr Yakubu Karagama, laryngologist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, told King's Health Partners. "It's currently being seen as a social issue, but it's not a social issue it's a health issue". This lack of medical acknowledgment has led many people to self-diagnose online and seek out costly treatment options. For most of us, burping is as natural as breathing, aside from the occasional post-fizzy drink exorcism. When excess air accumulates in our stomachs, the lower oesophageal sphincter - a valve that acts as a barrier between our throat and stomach - relaxes. This allows air to move up through our oesophagus and out of our mouths, resulting in a (hopefully) satisfying belch. In those with R-CPD, it's thought that the cricopharyngeus muscle, an entry valve located in our upper oesophagus, is unable to relax as it should, leaving the air trapped. "That retrograde dysfunction, that absence of relaxation of that upper sphincter, so that the air can't get out, leads [people] not to be able to burp. As a consequence, the air is trapped in their oesophagus, so that often they'll feel a substernal pressure," said Dr Lee Akst, a leading laryngologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine. "The associated symptoms are, I feel bloated, I have a gurgling sensation, I have chest or abdominal discomfort, and I feel as if I'm more flatulent than my friends who can burp because of the physical consequences of the air being trapped". For 41-year-old *Amelia, who has been formally diagnosed with R-CPD, these side effects led to a complete avoidance of public eating and drinking. "I couldn't drink with my food, couldn't enjoy nights out or meals out. It was embarrassing, painful and socially debilitating". A recent study conducted by Texan academics found that those unable to burp were more likely to struggle with anxiety, depression, and embarrassment, along with facing negative impacts on their work and relationships. "Sitting up at my desk for full days is actively painful," Dulcie said. "It means I can't do anything in my evenings because I have to lie down for the gurgles and pain to subside". Usually diagnosed with an endoscopy, the main treatment available for R-CPD is botulinum toxin (botox) injections into the cricopharyngeus muscle, relaxing it and allowing air to pass through. Only a limited number of doctors currently offer the procedure, which costs upwards of £3,000 (€3,621) through select private healthcare providers, according to a UK petition calling for funding on the NHS. This can sometimes be covered by insurance, according to anecdotal posts on the noburp subreddit, although there's no guarantee due to the condition still being so new and unknown. The botox lasts about three months, but during that time, patients can achieve longer-term results by relearning control of their upper oesophageal sphincter, according to Akst at Johns Hopkins. "About 90 per cent of people who are treated begin to burp, and about 90 per cent of those people who begin to burp can continue to burp even after six months or so, even after the drug is gone, because they've hopefully learned some degree of volitional control over that valve". As with all medical treatments, there are some risks. The primary function of the cricopharyngeus muscle is to prevent acid reflux, which could temporarily worsen after being relaxed, Akst explained. He also noted that some patients' swallowing becomes more hesitant. "The oesophagus is trying to squeeze the food down, but that valve above it is open. It's like trying to squeeze a tube of toothpaste if you've cut the back end of the tube off. You can't build the same pressure wave in only one direction. And so, often after this surgery, people feel as if their swallowing is slower," he said. However, those Euronews Health spoke to who have had the procedure found the benefits far outweigh the costs. "Best money I've ever spent," Amelia said, adding that she paid £5,000 (€6,038) six years ago. "There's so much I can do now that I couldn't do before. I can enjoy meals out, sit in quiet rooms, and rarely fart. Burping is subconscious to me now, just a normal part of life," she said. Meanwhile, Dulcie is booked in for treatment in the UK soon. "If this works, it will change my life. I'll be able to eat a full meal out with my friends without having to retreat home to gurgle in peace afterwards. I'll be able to drink a lemonade or a beer without feeling like I might explode. I'll be able to get into normal eating habits," she said. For those that can't afford the treatment, certain head and neck exercises can sometimes help encourage burping. "Practice with chin postures, either tucking it down or bringing it forward or turning it left or turning it right. And see if you can turn that little kind of croaky, slow motion gas escape into an honest to goodness burp and try to practice it in that fashion," Akst said. "But again, success rates are fairly anecdotal. There's not one regimen that everybody uses". Sam, a 31-year-old parcel sorter from France, found relief by consistently practicing physical shaker exercises, intended to improve swallowing. "My first burp was a micro burp and was not very spectacular. But when I did a second one a long time later, then I started to have hope,' he said. "I've learned to control [burping] more calmly and today it's much better. I burp after my meals, after my drinks, all day long. I feel much lighter," he added. * Name has been changed at the request of the interviewee. Those we spoke to with R-CPD agreed to talk to Euronews Health about their experiences but did not want their surnames to appear in print for privacy reasons.
