Exeter University doctor develops cancer detection app

Doctor Willie Hamilton from the University of Exeter, has designed a computer app for GP surgeries that is able to improve the detection of cancer symptoms in the early stages of the disease, potentially helping save thousands of lives.

The app costs £50 and is currently on trial at 160 GP surgeries nationwide.

It works by recording a patient's symptoms upon each doctor's visit. If, over various visits, the patient shows several otherwise harmless symptoms which together could be an early indicator of cancer, a warning will appear on the doctor's computer screen.

The app is able to identify symptoms of six forms of cancer, all previously particularly hard to detect: lung, bowel, ovarian, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach. 

Dr Hamilton says that he “started as a humble GP” with an “idea that we could identify cancer risks by looking at the case records of patients”.

This could potentially enable cancer to be detected much earlier than previously done so, facilitating quicker and hopefully more effective treatment.