England launches STRIDE-RCT trial for multi-cancer blood tests

A government-funded trial, known as STRIDE-RCT, is being launched across approximately 200 general practice surgeries in England to evaluate the accuracy of multi-cancer blood tests. Led by the University of Birmingham, the study will involve more than 20,000 patients aged 45 and older who present with symptoms such as persistent bloating or pain.

The trial aims to determine if simple blood draws can help clinicians identify various abdominal and other cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage. The evaluation will test diagnostic tools from three different developers that analyze blood samples for DNA fragments or proteins. The scope of the trial includes testing for pancreatic, stomach, liver, ovarian, bowel, small bowel, oesophageal, bile duct, gallbladder, endometrial, kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers.

Participants will provide one or two tubes of blood during standard appointments. Researchers noted that while a positive result does not confirm cancer and a negative result does not guarantee health, the goal is to see if these tests are accurate enough for wider integration into the NHS. This follows previous investigations, such as the NHS-Galleri trial, which sought to evaluate similar blood-based screening methods.