hheadmin, Author at Hospital Healthcare Europe

Press Releases

Take a look at a selection of our recent media coverage:

Genes linked to heart failure discovered through AI

26th September 2019

Genetic research led by Queen Mary University of London could open the way to earlier identification of people at risk of heart failure and to the development of new treatments.

The Queen Mary University of London team applied an artificial intelligence (AI) technique to analyse the heart MRI images of 17,000 healthy UK Biobank volunteers. They found that genetic factors accounted for 22-39% of variation in the size and function of the heart’s left ventricle, the organ’s main pumping chamber. Enlargement and reduced pumping function of the left ventricle can lead to heart failure.

The research, which was part-funded by the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation and published in Circulation, suggests that genetic factors significantly influence the variation in heart structure and function. The team identified or confirmed 14 regions in the human genome associated with the size and function of the left ventricle – each containing genes that regulate the early development of heart chambers and the contraction of heart muscle.

Lead researcher Dr Nay Aung from Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is exciting that the state-of-the-art AI techniques now allow rapid and accurate measurement of the tens of thousands of heart MRI images required for genetic studies. The findings open up the possibility of earlier identification of those at risk of heart failure and of new targeted treatments. The genetic risk scores established from this study could be tested in future studies to create an integrated and personalised risk assessment tool for heart failure.

“The AI tool allowed us to analyse images in a fraction of the time it would otherwise have taken. Our academic and commercial partners are further developing these AI algorithms to analyse other aspects of cardiac structure and function. This should translate to time and cost savings for the NHS and could potentially improve the efficiency of patient care.”

Steffen Petersen, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, who also worked on the project, said: “Previous studies have shown that differences in the size and function of the heart are partly influenced by genes but we have not really understood the extent of that genetic influence. This study has shown that several genes known to be important in heart failure also appear to regulate the heart size and function in healthy people. That understanding of the genetic basis of heart structure and function in the general population improves our knowledge of how heart failure evolves.

“The study provides a blueprint for future genetic research involving the heart MRI images in the UK Biobank and beyond.”

Patricia Munroe, Professor of Molecular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, who also worked on the project, said “High fidelity MRI measures combined with genetics is reassuringly validating many known heart structural proteins, but our work also finds new genes from more heritable functional measures that are associated with ventricular remodelling and fibrosis. Further genetic studies including analyses of additional heart MRI chambers are expected to provide deeper insights into heart biology.”

It is expected that many more genetic markers for cardiac conditions will be identified as the UK Biobank database grows. Earlier this month UK Biobank announced it will begin sequencing the whole human genome of 450,000 participants, following the success of the pilot sequencing programme in 50,000 participants.

Genes linked to heart failure discovered through AI

Experts consider osteoporosis to be a silent epidemic, which is neglected and under-addressed

25th September 2019

A new European survey, released by UCB, reveals that bone specialists believe osteoporosis and fragility fractures are neglected and under prioritised by their healthcare systems, and action needs to be taken.

The survey, conducted in August 2019, asked 401 bone specialists from 11 European countries about their experience of osteoporosis and fragility fracture management.

Of those surveyed, 66% agreed that osteoporosis is a neglected condition and only 10% of specialists surveyed agreed that osteoporosis and fragility fractures are currently given a high priority by their local health authority.When asked, the majority (90%) agreed that the condition should be a public health priority and 91% agreed that effective management can improve outcomes and reduce costs. At present, in women over 45 years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes and breast cancer.In 2010, the cost of fragility fractures in the European Union was €37 billion, and based on demographic changes is predicted to double by 2050.

“These results confirm what many of us already knew. Every year that goes by, more patients are potentially being denied effective management, leaving them vulnerable to life changing fractures. We need dedicated policy advisory groups to support national osteoporosis professionals and patient groups to implement effective approaches to bridge this prioritisation gap for policy makers, primary care and patients.” commented Dr Kassim Javaid, Consultant Rheumatologist, University of Oxford. “While the ultimate step is to prevent the first fracture, co-ordinated post-fracture care services like the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) has started to close the care gap, successful FLS models need to be expanded internationally. Once these systems are in place, FLSs can evolve to identify high risk groups to prevent the first fracture, our ultimate goal.”

The survey results also suggest that patients are not well informed about osteoporosis and its impact. Only a third (33%) of specialists feel their patients understand the long term impact of osteoporosis and more than half (53%) say their patients believe there is a low, to no increased risk of subsequent fragility fractures after the first, despite evidence which shows that after experiencing the first fracture, you are five times more likely to suffer another fracture within a year. Worse still, for those that suffer a hip fracture, 40% are not able to walk independently again9 and up to a quarter of those who suffer a hip fracture die in the first year through complications.

In addition, the survey highlighted challenges in osteoporosis management may also sit at the primary care level. The majority (84%) of specialists agreed that increased awareness and understanding of osteoporosis is needed for general practitioners, and only 32% agreed that GPs refer suspected osteoporosis diagnoses in a timely manner.

With osteoporosis being the most common bone disease in the world, resulting in more than 8.9 million fragility fractures each year around the globe, more needs to be done to help educate and support general practitioners and patients on osteoporosis and the importance of timely referral and effective management.

“Osteoporosis patients can face a great loss of independence and a reduced quality of life, especially after experiencing a fragility fracture and these survey results highlight that the specialists treating the condition believe that not enough is being done to ensure it’s given the priority that’s required at the healthcare system level,” said Dr. Pascale Richetta, Head of Bone and Executive Vice President at UCB. “We need to help prevent this silent epidemic from spreading by better educating policy makers, physicians and patients on the long-term impact of osteoporosis, so that the condition can be effectively managed, and the risk of subsequent, iterative, fractures reduced.”

Experts consider osteoporosis to be a silent epidemic

Expert view: Summing up skin prick testing

23rd September 2019

Individuals who suffer from allergic problems, such as rhinitis, bronchial asthma, food allergy or atopic dermatitis, are usually subjected to allergic skin tests to reveal the causative factors, to put prevention strategies in place, and to implement the most suitable therapy.

The prick test is helpful in the diagnosis of immediate hypersensitivity reactions (there are other types of reactions, defined as ‘delayed’, which occur mostly as contact dermatitis, and which require other types of test). The prick test is performed on an outpatient basis, in just a few minutes.

To perform the prick test, it is important that the patient has not taken anti-histamines by mouth (or injection) for at least 5-7 days (depending on the type of anti-histamine). In general, other therapies do not interfere with testing.

The prick test is carried out by placing a drop of an allergenic extract (food or inhalant type: pollen, derivative of dust mites or pets, etc.) on the patient’s skin. The skin of the area chosen for the test is usually the volar face of the forearm: and more precisely 5cm above the wrist and 3cm below the antecubital fossa. Subsequently, the allergist ‘pricks’ the skin underlying the allergenic drop with a sterile lancet (usually made of plastic or steel). It is necessary to use a different sterile lancet for each allergen, to avoid cross-contamination.

Allergenic molecules are then able to penetrate the superficial layers of the skin and come into contact with the IgE present on the surface of the mast cells. Once the puncture has been performed, the allergenic solution can be removed with a cotton, gauze or paper swab. After about 15 minutes, the skin is examined to assess any positive reactions to one or more allergens, which appear as rounded and raised wheals, several millimetres in diameter, that are itchy and surrounded by erythema. The wheals appear in all respects similar to ‘mosquito bites’.

For better diagnostic accuracy, positive and negative controls in addition to the selected allergens are performed. The positive control, with histamine, is used to assess skin reactivity and may be negative (non-reactive) in cases of anti-histamine therapy or in other cases of skin anergy; in these situations, the result of the prick test is not reliable. The negative control, which is carried out with saline solution or glycerin, is used to document any cutaneous hyper-reactivity: even in this case, if it is positive, the test result is not reliable.

The prick test can be performed at any age, but it is considered not to be reproducible and more difficult to interpret before the age of three years.

The prick test can be performed at any time of the year, even for seasonal allergies, subject to the necessary suspension of any therapies with antihistamines.

Expert view: Summing up skin prick testing

CHMP positive opinion for novel subcutaneous formulation of biosimilar infliximab

Celltrion Healthcare has announced that the CHMP has adopted a positive opinion for CT-P13 SC for marketing authorisation in the EU in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

“Today’s positive CHMP opinion brings us one step closer to providing a personalised treatment approach for people living with rheumatoid arthritis. This marks an important milestone for our business providing people with a new route of administration, and a novel formulation of infliximab,” said Hyoung-Ki Kim, Vice Chairman at Celltrion Healthcare. “If approved, we will begin a new era in the biotherapeutic class, as CT-P13 SC would be the world’s first subcutaneous version of infliximab, expanding treatment options for physicians and their patients.”

This positive opinion is based on the Phase I/III study to evaluate pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety between CT-P13 SC and the intravenous (IV) version in people with active RA.

Part one of the study demonstrated that CT-P13 SC showed comparable efficacy to CT-P13 IV up to week 54 with comparable DAS28 (CRP) / DAS28 (ESR) and ACR20 scores (measures of disease activity) demonstrated for both routes of administration. The safety profile of CT-P13 SC was also comparable to CT-P13 IV.The study was followed up by a Phase I/III randomised controlled trial (part two) which demonstrated non-inferiority in efficacy of CT-P13 SC to CT-P13 IV in people with RA over 30 weeks with similar DAS28 and ACR20, ACR50, ACR70 scores and EULAR-CRP response. The safety profile of CT-13 SC was comparable to CT-13 IV up to week 30.

Global Principal Investigator Professor Rene Westhovens, Rheumatologist at the University Hospitals KU Leuven, Belgium said, “This announcement is very encouraging as CT-P13 SC has demonstrated a comparable safety and efficacy profile to the well-established intravenous version of infliximab. This new SC formulation of infliximab could give patients the opportunity to administer the treatment themselves as an injection, giving them more control over their own treatment. Having two formulations of CT-P13 could also benefit patients by offering a more personalised treatment option whilst also reducing the time spent in hospital having intravenous treatment alone.”

A Phase III study of CT-P13 SC for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is underway. Celltrion hopes to seek expanded indications following the results of this trial.

Celltrion Healthcare will adopt a different business strategy for CT-P13 SC, compared to strategies for previous products in the portfolio and is considering both direct and indirect sales based on the optimal model in each local country.

Celltrion has applied for a patent for CT-P13 SC in approximately 130 countries throughout the US, Europe and Asia.

CHMP positive opinion for novel subcutaneous formulation of biosimilar infliximab

Larotrectinib receives first tumour-agnostic licence in EU

Bayer has announced that the European Commission has granted conditional marketing authorisation in the European Union (EU) for the targeted oncology treatment Vitrakvi^® (larotrectinib).

The drug is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients with solid tumours that display a Neurotrophic Tyrosine Receptor Kinase (NTRK) gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have no satisfactory treatment options.

Dr Julia Chisholm, Consultant in Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology at The Royal Marsden Hospital, commented: “Larotrectinib’s EMA licencing marks another step towards treating cancers based on tumour genetics rather than site of origin in the body. Treatment with larotrectinib, which is designed specifically for the NTRK fusion oncogenic driver, can deliver clinically meaningful responses in patients with cancers which otherwise remain challenging to treat. We are delighted that clinicians managing such patients will now have a medicine licenced to specifically treat tumours with an NTRK gene fusion.”

Dr Julia Chisholm is currently Principal Investigator for the ongoing SCOUT study to test the safety and efficacy of the drug larotrectinib for the treatment of tumours with NTRK-fusion in children.

Genomic testing for NTRK gene fusions is key to identifying those patients who are most likely to benefit from targeted oncology medicines such as larotrectinib. The medicine is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients with solid tumours that display a Neurotrophic Tyrosine Receptor Kinase (NTRK) gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have no satisfactory treatment options. It demonstrated clinically meaningful responses in adults and children with TRK fusion cancer, including central nervous system (CNS) tumours.

The EMA licencing of larotrectinib is based on pooled clinical trial data of 102 patients (93 patients from the primary analysis population and an additional nine patients with primary CNS tumours) across the Phase I trial of adult patients, the Phase II NAVIGATE trial in adult and adolescent patients and the Phase I/II paediatric SCOUT trial. Results in the primary analysis population demonstrate an overall response rate (ORR) of 72% (95% CI: 62, 81). In an additional analysis including primary CNS patients, the ORR was 67% (95% CI: 57, 76). In the pooled primary analysis set, neither the median duration of response nor median progression free survival had been reached at time of analysis. Larotrectinib showed a favourable safety profile, with the majority of adverse events (AEs) being grade 1 or 2. Only 3% of patients had to permanently stop therapy due to treatment-emergent AEs.

TRK fusion cancer is rare overall, affecting no more than a few thousand patients across Europe annually. It affects both children and adults and occurs in varying frequencies across various tumour types. TRK fusion cancer occurs when an NTRK gene fuses with another unrelated gene, producing an altered TRK protein. The altered protein, or TRK fusion protein, becomes constitutively active or overexpressed, triggering a signalling cascade. These TRK fusion proteins act as oncogenic drivers that fuel the spread and growth of the patients’ cancer, regardless of where it originates in the body.

Larotrectinib, an oral, highly selective TRK inhibitor, was investigated in clinical trials across 29 different histologies of solid tumours including lung, thyroid, melanoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, colon, soft tissue sarcomas, salivary gland and infantile fibrosarcoma.The compound has shown efficacy in primary CNS tumours, as well as patients with brain metastases, across age or tumour histology.

Dr Brendon Gray, Medical Director at Bayer, said: “As the first tumour agnostic medicine licenced in Europe, larotrectinib represents a real shift in cancer treatment and creates an opportunity for the UK to demonstrate it is at the forefront of genomic medicine. Larotrectinib offers new treatment options for adult and paediatric patients, some of whom have had not treatment options to date.”

Larotrectinib receives first tumour-agnostic licence in EU

Results from the CONCLUDE trial presented at 55th EASD

20th September 2019

According to new data from the CONCLUDE head-to-head trial, Tresiba^® (insulin degludec) showed an overall lower risk of hypoglycaemia at a significantly lower HbA1c, compared with insulin glargine U300 in adults with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on basal insulin with or without oral anti-diabetic drugs.

The primary endpoint, the rate of overall symptomatic hypoglycaemia in the maintenance period of 36 weeks which was tested for superiority, was numerically lower but not statistically significant versus insulin glargine U300. The rate of overall symptomatic hypoglycaemia was statistically significantly lower in favour of Tresiba^® during the total treatment period of up to 88 weeks.

In this head-to-head trial, Tresiba^® significantly reduced the rate of severe hypoglycaemia by 80% and nocturnal symptomatic hypoglycaemia by 37% when compared with insulin glargine U300 during the maintenance period, and by 62% and 43% respectively in the total treatment period when compared with insulin glargine U300.

“Severe hypoglycaemia can be very worrying and potentially dangerous for people with diabetes and is important to consider as part of long-term diabetes care,” said Dr Athena Philis-Tsimikas, CONCLUDE lead investigator and corporate vice president, Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute. “The results of this trial reinforce the safety profile of Tresiba^® as it demonstrated a significant reduction in severe hypoglycaemia compared to insulin glargine U300 alongside effective blood glucose control.”

The proportion of participants experiencing hypoglycaemia was also significantly lower in favour of Tresiba^® during both the maintenance and total treatment periods for all hypoglycaemia endpoints. These reductions in rates and proportions of patients experiencing hypoglycaemia with Tresiba^® were seen alongside significant reductions from baseline in HbA1c (estimated treatment difference (ETD) -0.1%) and fasting plasma glucose (ETD -0.62mmol/l). Furthermore, Tresiba^® showed a 12% lower insulin dose requirement with an end-of-trial mean daily insulin dose of 67U, compared with 73U for insulin glargine U300.

“We are delighted that the findings of the CONCLUDE trial support what we have seen previously across the Tresiba^® clinical development programme,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk. “These findings offer further confidence that Tresiba^® can help people with type 2 diabetes reduce their risk of hypoglycaemia, without having to compromise their treatment goals.”

Results from the CONCLUDE trial presented at 55th EASD

New yardstick offers guidance for the management and diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis

According to a new ‘yardstick’, there are people for whom diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis are difficult because the cause is unknown and therefore labelled ‘idiopathic.’

“Although idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) is relatively rare, medical professionals do run across it,” says anaphylaxis researcher Melody Carter, MD, lead author of the yardstick. “Since avoidance is the first line of defence in preventing anaphylaxis, anyone who hasn’t had the cause identified is at a disadvantage, including physicians who are treating those with anaphylaxis. We developed the “Idiopathic Anaphylaxis Yardstick” to help physicians who might be searching for guidance on next steps after their patient has an anaphylactic reaction of an unknown origin.”

According to the yardstick, a patient history is a vital step in diagnosing IA. Several diseases and disorders have symptoms which mimic anaphylaxis related to an allergy, and some causes of anaphylaxis have been discovered or are better recognised in recent years. Thus, there are many diagnoses labelled as ‘differential’ – not caused by allergy but a reaction to something else. The patient history must include events that happened just before the event – foods that were eaten, drugs taken, activities (that is, exercise) insect stings or exposure to heat or cold. The time, location and duration of the event should also be considered.

“Advances in diagnostics have led to the discovery of disorders that were likely the cause of IA for many patients in the past,” says allergist Phil Lieberman, MD, ACAAI member and co-author of the yardstick. “The yardstick contains a detailed discussion of the disorders that should be considered including alpha-gal, clonal mast disease, drug/alcohol induced flushing, tumour-related flushing and hereditary alpha tryptasaemia syndrome. We outline diseases and disorders that can cause anaphylaxis or present with symptoms associated with anaphylaxis in order to assist allergists in examining a broad spectrum of possible causes. We also discuss laboratory tests that are essential diagnostic tools.”

The yardstick has special sections that address paediatric patients and also provides suggestions for how to proceed with patients who do not respond to other treatments.

New yardstick offers guidance for the management and diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis

NICE recommends lanadelumab for rare genetic disorder

Takeda has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued its Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending Takhzyro^®▼(lanadelumab) subcutaneous injection as an option for preventing recurrent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients aged 12 years and older.

The recommendation is only if:

patients are eligible for preventive C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) treatment in line with NHS England’s commissioning policy
the lowest dosing frequency of lanadelumab is used in line with the summary of product characteristics
the company provides lanadelumab according to the commercial arrangement.

HAE is a rare, genetic disorder that results in recurring attacks of oedema (swelling) in various parts of the body, including the abdomen, face, feet, genitals, hands and throat. Attacks that obstruct the airways can cause asphyxiation (suffocation) and are potentially life-threatening. Attacks can last for a number of days, and the frequency may vary with some people having attacks on average every 1 to 2 weeks, or some experiencing an attack every three days. Anxiety about the next attack can limit the way people with HAE live their life, for example avoiding educational and career opportunities, planning holidays and attending social engagements.

Laura Szutowicz, Chief Executive Officer, HAE UK said, “HAE attacks are unpredictable, painful and debilitating. Today’s recommendation from NICE means that people living with HAE across England and Wales have another medication that gives them the chance to lead a full and active life. We hope the NHS and Healthcare Professionals will provide swift access to patients who could benefit from this new treatment.”

Lanadelumab is the first preventative treatment for Type I/II HAE, self-administered by patients at home as a single subcutaneous injection every two to four weeks. In clinical studies, monthly attack rates were reduced by 87% relative to placebo, and patients experienced improvements including less fear and shame about unpredictable attacks, less impairment in their ability to work, socialise, and perform other physical activities and reduced fatigue during the day and a better night’s sleep.

Dr Sinisa Savic, Consultant in Clinical Immunology and Allergy said, “the replacement of frequent intravenous injections with at-home subcutaneous administration every two to four weeks, and the chance of being attack free, means that lanadelumab has the potential to transform care for some patients. It represents a real step-change in the treatment and clinical management of patients who experience recurrent HAE attacks.”

Key evidence behind the NICE recommendation for Takhzyro was data from the HELP-03 (Hereditary Angioedema Long-term Prophylaxis) Study™. In the 26-week Phase III HELP Study™, with 125 people with HAE, Takhzyro reduced the mean number of monthly HAE attacks by 87% compared with placebo when administered at 300 mg every two weeks and 73% compared with placebo when administered at 300mg every four weeks (adjusted P>0.001). A prespecified, exploratory analysis showed that over the entire 26-week study (Days 0-182), 44% (n=12/27) of patients taking Takhzyro 300 mg every two weeks were attack-free vs. 2% (n=1/41) of patients taking placebo. A post-hoc sensitivity analysis showed that 77% (n=20/26) of the patients receiving Takhzyro 300 mg every two weeks were attack-free during a steady-state (day 70-182) vs. 3% of patients on placebo (n=1/37). The HELP Study™ is the largest randomised, controlled clinical prevention study conducted to date in this rare disease.

The FAD is part of the final guidance to the NHS in England and Wales expected to be published in October 2019. Pending any appeals from key stakeholders, based on this positive recommendation the NHS should make Takhzyro available in England within three months of this date.

“Ensuring people living with rare diseases, such as HAE, have the best care and access to innovative treatments is of the upmost importance to us and this recommendation by NICE represents a huge milestone,” said Jon Neal, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, Takeda. “Takeda is really proud to be able to bring this novel medication to those living with this extremely debilitating condition.”

NICE recommends lanadelumab for rare genetic disorder

Combination therapies could help treat fatal lung cancers

A new study led by the Francis Crick Institute and The Institute of Cancer Research in London has found that combining a new class of drug with two other compounds can significantly shrink lung tumours in mice and human cancer cells.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, looked at G12C KRAS inhibitors. This new type of drug targets a specific mutation in the KRAS gene that can cause cells to multiply uncontrollably and lead to fast-growing cancers.

These mutations are found in 14% of lung adenocarcinomas, the most common form of lung cancer. There are still no effective treatments for most patients, and more than eight in ten will die within five years of diagnosis. Every year, around 2800 people in the UK will develop lung cancers with the deadly G12C KRAS mutation.

Drugs targeting G12C KRAS mutations are showing promising anti-tumour activity and few adverse effects in US clinical trials, but it is unclear how long any response will last before the cancer becomes resistant.

“It’s likely that tumours will develop resistance to the new drugs, so we need to stay one step ahead,” explains senior author Professor Julian Downward, who led the research at the Crick and ICR. “We found a three-drug combination that significantly shrank lung tumours in mice and human cancer cells. Tumours treated with the combination shrank and stayed small, whereas those treated with the G12C KRAS inhibitor alone tended to shrink at first but then start growing again after a couple of weeks. Our results suggest that it would be worth trying this combination in human trials in the coming years, to prevent or at least delay drug resistance.”

The other compounds in the combination block the mTOR and IGF1R pathways, both of which have been previously tested in cancer patients. There are already licensed mTOR inhibitors on the market, while IGF1R inhibitors are still at the trial stage.

To develop this combination, the team used tumour cells derived from patients with the G12C KRAS mutation. They edited these cells to block the activity of 16,019 different genes and treated them with compounds that KRAS mutant cancers are known to be susceptible to.

“We found that cell lines without the MTOR gene were significantly more vulnerable to both KRAS and IGF1R inhibitors,” explains first author Dr Miriam Molina-Arcas, Senior Laboratory Research Scientist at the Crick. “When we blocked all three pathways, the mutant cancer cells were simply unable to survive. This makes it a promising avenue for human trials in the coming years, although this is still early research. Promising results in mice and cells can tell us what’s worth trying, but it’s impossible to predict how patients will respond until we actually try.”

Combination therapies could help treat fatal lung cancers

UK study finds only a third of women take up all offered cancer screenings

17th September 2019

In England, women are invited for screening for three types of cancer concurrently in their sixties; for the last cervical screen before they exit the programme, for breast screening every three years, and for bowel screening every two years.

This means that an average woman aged 60 can expect to receive five or six cancer screening invitations by the time she turns 65. In England, cancer screening is provided by the NHS free of charge.

In a study published in the Journal of Medical Screening, researchers categorised a sample of just over three thousand eligible women in their sixties according to the last screening round. They looked into women’s participation in all three programmes.

Results showed that:

35% took part in all three screening programmes;
37% participated in two programmes;
17% accessed one type of screening; and
10% were not screened at all.

They also found that general practices with a higher proportion of unemployed patients and a higher number of smokers had a lower rate of take-up of all three screening programmes. Conversely, take-up was more frequent among practices in areas of less deprivation, with a higher proportion of women with caring duties, those with long-term health conditions, and those with a high level of patient satisfaction with the practice itself.

“To lower the chances of dying from certain cancers, it is important for the population to attend all offered screening programmes,” said lead author Dr Matejka Rebolj from King’s College London.

“We know from the official statistics that the majority of women are up to date with breast screening, but this drops to just over 50% when it comes to bowel screening. It is worrying that only a third of women are up to date with all offered cancer screenings and that 10% remained completely unscreened in the last round. Indeed, similar patterns have been reported from other countries too.

“It is crucial for us to look at the take-up rates in certain areas and in certain practices and address women’s preferences for future screening programmes. We need to understand and target specifically those women who obtain some screening, but decide not to take up all the life-saving screening that is offered to them by the NHS. It is important that policy makers now look at these findings to inform what can be done in the future to reduce the significant number of deaths in the over 60-year olds.”

Senior author Professor Stephen Duffy from Queen Mary University of London said: “These results demonstrate the inequalities in cancer screening participation, with the lowest levels of participation in the areas of highest deprivation.

“Since most women had at least one form of screening, we know that there isn’t an objection to screening as a whole. However, individuals find some screening procedures less acceptable than others, so the key to improving participation is making the screening experience better.

“We’ve seen this work with a new and less burdensome test in bowel cancer screening, which was considerably more acceptable and resulted in a substantial increase in uptake. Most encouragingly, the greatest improvements in uptake were seen in those who previously had the lowest participation levels.”

UK study finds only a third of women take up all offered cancer screenings