NHS to Use AI Blood Test That Could Reduce Invasive Womb Cancer Examinations

 

Several hospitals under the United Kingdom’s National Health Service are preparing to introduce an artificial intelligence-powered blood test that could help assess women suspected of having womb cancer before they undergo invasive and potentially painful examinations.

The technology, developed by Leeds-based company PinPoint Data Science, uses machine learning to analyze blood markers and estimate a patient’s risk of cancer.

According to reports, approximately 90,000 postmenopausal women in England are referred by general practitioners every year after experiencing abnormal or heavy bleeding. Around 10,000 women are diagnosed with womb cancer annually, while approximately 2,700 die from the disease.

How the AI Blood Test Works

The PinPoint test examines approximately 30 blood markers and other clinical information to classify patients into three categories:

• Low risk
• Elevated risk
• High risk

The test reportedly costs around £30 and provides healthcare professionals with a cancer risk score that can be integrated into existing NHS referral systems.

Doctors may use the result to determine whether a patient can be monitored safely, referred for additional testing, or prioritized for faster hospital assessment.

PinPoint describes the technology as a multi-cancer risk assessment tool. It has been tested across several cancer pathways, including:

• Gynaecological cancer
• Lung cancer
• Upper gastrointestinal cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Lower gastrointestinal cancer

The blood test does not independently diagnose cancer. Instead, it is designed to support clinical decision-making and help doctors identify patients who may require urgent investigation.

Trial Involved More Than 16,000 Patients

The system was evaluated in a trial involving 16,481 patients referred through urgent suspected cancer pathways across Yorkshire.

The study included women experiencing symptoms associated with possible womb or other gynaecological cancers.

Based on the reported findings, approximately one in every 10 women referred because of heavy bleeding was eventually diagnosed with cancer.

PinPoint said its test correctly classified 99.1 percent of detected cancers as either elevated or high risk.

For women placed in the lowest-risk category, the test reportedly achieved a negative predictive value of 99.8 percent. This means that patients classified as low risk were highly unlikely to have cancer based on the trial results.

However, further studies will still be required to determine how the technology affects long-term patient outcomes and clinical decision-making in real-world healthcare environments.

Hospitals Preparing to Introduce the Test

The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust plans to use the test across six gynaecological and upper gastrointestinal cancer pathways.

Meanwhile, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust intends to introduce the technology for patients referred with suspected gynaecological cancer.

The goal is to help medical teams identify very low-risk patients earlier while prioritizing women who have a higher probability of cancer.

Reducing Uncomfortable and Invasive Procedures

Under the current diagnostic pathway, women referred for suspected reproductive system cancers commonly undergo a pelvic examination and a transvaginal ultrasound.

During the procedure, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the vagina to measure the thickness of the womb lining. While medically important, the examination can be uncomfortable, distressing, or painful for some patients.

When doctors remain concerned about cancer, women may also undergo additional procedures such as:

• Endometrial biopsy
• Hysteroscopy
• Further imaging and hospital examinations

A hysteroscopy involves examining the inside of the womb using a thin camera.

PinPoint said its blood test could identify women with a very low cancer risk before these procedures become necessary.

The company estimates that the system could prevent approximately one in five referred women from undergoing a transvaginal ultrasound. That could represent around 18,000 women every year in England.

Faster Care and Better Use of NHS Resources

Professor Sean Duffy, chief medical officer of PinPoint Data Science and a former national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said the technology’s main value is its ability to identify women who are extremely unlikely to have cancer.

Dr. Jacinta Walsh, a general practitioner at King’s Medical Practice in Normanton, West Yorkshire, said some patients may require several GP consultations before cancer can be ruled out.

An AI-supported blood test could help shorten that process, reduce patient anxiety, and free up medical appointments for other patients.

Tracy Jackson, a consultant gynaecologist and cancer unit lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, noted that most women referred through the current pathway are eventually found not to have cancer.

Despite this, many patients still undergo examinations that can be uncomfortable and emotionally distressing.

The AI blood test could allow low-risk patients to be managed or ruled out within primary care, while patients with higher risk scores could be prioritized for hospital-based investigations.

AI Expands Across the NHS

The PinPoint test is part of a wider effort to use artificial intelligence across the NHS.

At Kent and Canterbury Hospital, an AI system called MEMORI is being used to assess a patient’s risk of infection.

The system analyzes information already contained in medical records, including:

• Blood test results
• Blood pressure
• Body temperature
• Clinical observations
• Medications
• Patient demographics

The NHS is also developing an AI-powered triage tool for the NHS App. The service is expected to reach more than 200,000 patients within 12 months and become available to all NHS App users by April 2028.

The British government has also committed £20 million to expand AI-powered chest X-ray technology across all NHS trusts in England by 2029.

These tools are already available in approximately half of NHS trusts and have reportedly supported the assessment of more than four million patients being investigated for possible lung cancer.

Promising, but More Evidence Is Needed

Cancer Research UK described the PinPoint blood test as promising but emphasized that additional research is necessary.

The organization said researchers must determine whether the technology genuinely improves patient outcomes, speeds up diagnosis, reduces unnecessary procedures, and strengthens the NHS cancer referral system.

Early cancer detection remains critical because patients generally have better treatment options and survival prospects when the disease is discovered at an earlier stage.

The PinPoint test could eventually help rule out endometrial or womb cancer in some women using a simple blood test, reducing the need for further invasive investigations.

Still, the technology should be treated as a clinical support tool rather than a replacement for doctors, medical examinations, biopsies, or specialist judgment.

As healthcare systems continue adopting artificial intelligence, technologies such as PinPoint demonstrate how AI may help make cancer screening faster, more targeted, and less distressing for patients.