New diagnostic pathway finds cancer and serious illness in one in five patients

A new diagnostic pathway detected cancer or serious illness in nearly one in five patients with non-specific symptoms. The Suspected Cancer (Scan) pathway provides rapid testing for symptoms like unexplained weight loss or fatigue. It identified cancer in 8.8% and serious non-cancer diagnoses in 10.9% of patients. The pathway also revealed significant incidental findings in 19.3% of patients, highlighting the need to balance early diagnosis with healthcare system capacity.