EVERYONE over 60 who goes to the doctor with a stomach ache or bloating should be screened for cancer, scientists say.
A University College London study found that just one of these symptoms puts older patients above the NHS risk limit for testing.
They had about a 3.1 percent chance of developing cancer – one case in every 32 patients – even without other signs.
Currently, patients are only referred if they have another warning symptom in addition to intestinal problems, raising the risk to three percent or more.
Researchers estimate that routine blood tests carried out on people with stomach problems do not detect signs of tumors and delay people’s diagnosis.
They found that warning signs are not always detected or analyzed by doctors.
If all abnormalities in the 19 most common tests were investigated, they estimate the cancer rate would be 46 per 1,000 patients, instead of 40 per 1,000.
Half of people with cancer will go to the doctor with vague symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose
Dr Meena Rafiq
This could mean that thousands of patients would be diagnosed early each year.
Study author Dr Meena Rafiq said: “Half of all people with undetected cancer will first see their doctor with vague symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose.
“Many of these patients are screened with commonly used blood tests that can help identify who is most likely to have underlying cancer and should be prioritized for referral.
“It can be challenging for family doctors to interpret a range of blood test data, so our study points to the need for an automated tool to assess cancer risk.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, used data from more than 400,000 GP patients over the age of 30 in the UK.
All had seen their doctor between 2007 and 2016 for help with stomach pain or bloating, and two-thirds were referred for blood tests.
On average, 2.2 percent – one in 45 – were diagnosed with cancer within a year, and the rate increased with age.
An abnormality in one of 19 common blood tests was found to increase the risk of an eventual cancer diagnosis by 16 percent, but many were not screened for tumors.
Dr Rafiq added: “This suggests we can improve cancer detection with blood tests that are already available.”
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