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A London clinic has pioneered a blood test that checks for pancreatic cancer.
The Diagnostic Clinic in Mayfair is the first in Britain to provide this fast-track method of screening.
Doctors have until now relied on ultrasound or an MRI scan to detect the cancer, whose victims have included actor Patrick Swayze.
However, often a diagnosis is only possible when the disease is at an advanced stage. The test looks for "markers" in the blood associated with cancer. The method has been used in scientific research for years but has not been available to the public. It allows doctors to treat sufferers earlier, giving them a better chance of survival.
Pancreatic cancer is known as a "silent killer" because it does not cause symptoms until well established. Symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and pain in the upper abdomen. In 2007, more than 7,700 people in the UK died from the illness.
Swayze died this year aged 57, 20 months after being diagnosed. He was a chain smoker, a risk factor for developing the cancer.
As many as one in 10 sufferers have a genetic history of the disease. The Diagnostic Clinic has used the test on about 20 patients who have family members with the illness.
Dr Rajendra Sharma, the clinic's medical director, said: "Patients come here for answers because they have a family history of conditions or because they consider themselves to be of elevated risk. Either way, this test can detect early signs of pancreatic cancer." The £450 test is not yet available on the NHS but GPs can refer patients to the clinic.
