Dr Rav Sodi, Consultant Clinical Biochemist for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has partnered with Yorkshire- and Edinburgh-based MedTech company TestCard and global diagnostics manufacturer Healgen to deliver a trial of prostate cancer screening in the home. This disruptive innovation allows patients to screen for prostate cancer in the comfort, convenience and privacy of their own homes supported by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
The trial will see patients receive a TestCard test kit through the post, which contains the Healgen semi-quantitative PSA lateral flow test and be invited to download a mobile app to help them perform the test. The test results and images will be sent directly to a clinician who will decide on the next steps. The test requires only a finger prick blood sample and can be completed in 10 minutes.
Historically, prostate cancer screening has required patients to travel to a clinic for a blood test and then travel again to receive their results. These friction points during screening can cause patients to put off their appointments or not to attend at all.
Prostate cancer is treatable when caught early – the disease has a 5-year survival rate of more than 98% when caught at Stage 1. However, if prostate cancer is not caught until Stage 4, the disease has a 5-year survival rate of as low as 28%.
Early screening is the key to lowering rates of fatality caused by prostate cancer, a disease that at least one in eight men in the UK will experience in their lifetimes. Traditional screening methods engender barriers like travel time, time off work, paid parking, care commitments and personal embarrassment. Screening in the home can empower patients to take control of their own healthcare, freeing up clinics and clinicians to concentrate on the patients who need care the most.
Dr Rav Sodi commented: “I am excited to introduce a new way to screen patients for prostate cancer, in the home. I believe we will catch more prostate cancer cases early by making it easier for patients to screen; therefore, we may be able to save more lives. Our partnership with TestCard allows us to provide this service into the home and still allow clinicians to review the results and provide counsel to their patients.”