Anglim Private Health are now able to offer the Trucheck advanced cancer screening test. It is a revolutionary new cancer screening blood test which can screen for and identify 70 different solid cancers. It helps pick up cancer in the early stages where there are more treatment options and a higher chance of cure. It can be performed as part of an annual health checkup and is particularly useful for those at higher risk of cancer.
What does the test look for?
The test looks for circulating cancer cells or clusters of cells within your blood. If no circulating cancers cells or clusters are found, that would be a negative result. If they are found the lab can test those cells to confirm the type of cancer cell present and which organ they originated from. That would then trigger a referral for more tests to find the source of those cancer cells.
What cancers are covered by this test?
This test covers 70 different types of solid cancer, including the ‘Big Four’ of lung, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. The full list of Trucheck test cancers can be found here. Trucheck does not cover blood or lymphatic cancers.
Can anyone have the test?
There are age criteria, you can only have the test if you are aged 40 and older. If you are 35-40 and at higher risk of cancer, you can also have the test.
If you have symptoms of cancer, or signs of cancer from other tests, this is not an appropriate test and instead you should speak to your GP to investigate those urgently. Importantly, you must never have had or been treated for any type of cancer, the test would be inaccurate and pick up signs of your previous cancer, even if it has been cleared.
You must not have had a blood transfusion in the 3 days before your test.
How is the test performed?
If you book the test you will be invited in for a discussion with Dr Anglim. He will go through the eligibility criteria to make sure the test is appropriate for you. If you cannot have the test you will not be charged. If you can have the test the blood samples will be collected and the test dispatched on the same day. The test takes 2-3 weeks for a result. If we receive a result early we will contact you as soon as we can with the result.
What happens if there is a positive result?
If the result reports cancer cells and gives us an organ where they are most likely to have originated from, Dr Anglim will contact you as early as possible and invite you in to discuss a plan going forward. It will likely involve referral to a specialist for further investigation. The testing team provide a range of specialists who regularly manage patients with positive Trucheck test results. They will talk and help you through the next steps, so you will have someone to guide you and your clinicians through the process. The trials show a very high specificity (99.9%) meaning very few people without cancer will return a positive result.
Does a negative result mean I definitely don’t have cancer?
There is no test that is 100% accurate for cancer. This test will pick up 90-95% of the people with cancers from the list of 70 cancers detected. This is similar to the sensitivity of other screening programs in the UK. There are some cancers which are not part of this test at all. Blood and lymphatic system cancers do not produce circulating cancer cells in the same way and cannot be picked up by this test, these include leukemias, lymphomas and myeloma. Cancers can form at any time, this test gives you a spot check at the time of the test but cannot work out if you will generate a cancer in the near future.
How do I book the test?
If you would like to book the test please call 01284 245665, email doctors@anglimhealth.co.uk or message us via facebook. If you are a member, please contact Dr Anglim directly by phone or Whatsapp. The Trucheck cancer screening test costs £1195.
We also offer routine health checks, which can be found here. Please let us know if you would like to have both of those tests together. We can also provide bespoke health checks, including the Trucheck cancer screening, to employees of a company. Please contact us to discuss further.