NHS pharmacies to pilot ‘sponge on a string’ test to spot cancer precursor
Guardian2 days
UK: NHS Pilots 'Sponge on String' Cancer Test in Pharmacies
Above: Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). Image copyright: Unsplash
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
This pharmacy-based scheme has the potential to make life-saving cancer screening more accessible than ever before by bringing convenient testing directly to the high street while freeing endoscopies for high-risk patients. If successful, this could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of patients who currently fall through the cracks.
Government-critical narrative
While early testing is always welcome, the NHS must also do more to improve its treatment of aggressive cancers like esophageal cancer. Currently, those suffering from these types of cancer continue to face a poor prognosis and lower chances of survival. As such, the NHS must urgently sponsor additional clinical trials to examine potential new treatments that could save lives.