Simple saliva take a look at might save the NHS tens of millions of kilos

A SALIVA test is being trialled to predict men’s chances of developing prostate cancer.

Led by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, a trial is looking at whether the saliva test can speed up prostate cancer diagnoses and save the NHS money.

The test calculates the risk of prostate cancer from DNA extracted from saliva – called a genetic risk score.

GPs will offer the test to their patients, and those identified as higher risk will be offered prostate cancer checks.

Studies show new methods of diagnosis have slashed the risk of harm from unnecessary biopsies and cut deaths (stock photo)

Charity Prostate Cancer UK says this should end the debate over expansion of the prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA) (stock photo)

Two new techniques have been key to the reduction in harm – ­multiparametric MRI scans and transperineal guided biopsies (stock photo)

The £2 million study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation Early Cancer Diagnosis Clinical Validation and Evaluation, aims to pick up more people with prostate cancer at an earlier stage – when it is more treatable.

The team estimates that their saliva test could identify up to 12,350 people earlier, saving the NHS around £500 million a year.

Recent research from the same team showed that a simple saliva test was more accurate at identifying future risk of prostate cancer for men at higher-risk than the current standard blood test.

Now, they have developed an updated version of the test, called PRODICT, which looks for more genetic variants that indicate cancer than the original test – more than 400 genetic variants, which are both commonly occurring and rare.

The study aims to recruit 1,000 men from diverse ethnic groups, aged between 40 and 55 years.

Professor Ros Eeles, of the ICR and consultant at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘With our simple to collect, at-home, spit test, we hope not only to extend the lives of people diagnosed with prostate cancer, but also to save the NHS a significant amount of money.

‘Too many men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a late stage, when it is less likely to be curable and requires intensive, expensive, treatment.

‘We desperately need a screening programme for prostate cancer that picks up the men at risk of aggressive cancers who need further tests, but spares the men who are at lower risk from unnecessary treatments.’