Two medical trusts of the UK's National Health Service (NHS) are preparing to implement an innovative AI blood test, PinPoint, for women suspected of having uterine cancer. Clinical trial results are impressive: in a group of 3,313 participants, the machine learning model demonstrated 99% accuracy in both detecting and ruling out gynecological cancers.
Every year in England, around 90,000 patients are referred for examination due to heavy postmenopausal bleeding. Approximately 10,000 of them are diagnosed with uterine (or endometrial) cancer, and 2,700 women die from this disease annually. The current standard procedure includes transvaginal ultrasound to measure endometrial thickness, and if suspicions persist, biopsy and hysteroscopy. Many patients find these methods painful and invasive.
The key problem: in 20% of referred women, cancer is not confirmed, yet they still undergo the entire diagnostic cycle. According to developers, PinPoint will allow the disease to be ruled out at the initial referral stage, sparing around 18,000 women per year from unnecessary painful procedures.
How PinPoint works
The algorithm analyzes 30 specific markers in a blood sample, after which the model determines the risk level: low, elevated, or high. The technology was developed by PinPoint Data Science, a company from Leeds specializing in statistical analysis of medical data.
The implementation was preceded by a large-scale trial involving 16,481 patients. General practitioners from 170 clinics in Yorkshire referred them for testing for nine types of cancer. All participants provided samples for analysis, including 3,313 women with bleeding and suspected uterine cancer. PinPoint Data Science's Chief Medical Officer, Sean Duffy, noted: "99% accuracy is outstanding by any clinical standard. But equally important is that the test reliably rules out cancer in women with low risk."
Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust plans to use the test for six types of gynecological cancer and upper gastrointestinal cancer, while Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will use it for gynecological cancers.
Doctors' reactions and prospects
General practitioner Jacinta Walsh from West Yorkshire emphasized that currently, ruling out cancer requires up to six doctor visits, and PinPoint will speed up the process, freeing up time for other patients. Consultant gynecologist Tracy Jackson from Leeds Trust added: "Most referred women turn out to be healthy. The new technology will allow for more effective triage. Women with actual cancer will see a doctor faster, receive a diagnosis, and start treatment."
Cancer Research UK called the results "promising" but stressed the need for additional research to assess the long-term benefits for patients and the healthcare system.
From a professional perspective, the implementation of PinPoint is not just a technological breakthrough but a paradigm shift in cancer screening. The combination of high accuracy and non-invasiveness could radically reduce the burden on the healthcare system and improve patients' quality of life. However, the key factor for success will be scaling: if the technology shows similar results in a broader population, we will witness the standardization of AI diagnostics in oncology.