Following the statement on the national cancer plan, James Cleverly urges the Government to leverage the NHS’s very large database of historical tissue samples. He calls for the use of AI to do a retrospective analysis to identify patterns that could help speed up diagnosis across a whole range of cancers.
Mr James Cleverly (Braintree) (Con)
Like many people in this House, I have seen up close and personal the devastating impact that a cancer diagnosis can have on people and families. I have also seen the difference between an early diagnosis and a later diagnosis, which is why I very much welcome the use of AI in early diagnosis. One positive by-product of having a long-standing national health service is that we have in the UK a very large database of historical tissue samples. Will the Minister consider using AI to do a retrospective analysis of those historical tissue samples to try to spot patterns that could inform future speedy diagnosis across a whole range of cancers?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Andrew Gwynne)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that suggestion and will ask my officials to look into it. I am very keen that we maximise the latest advances in technology, genomics, life sciences and research to ensure that we identify people who are at risk of cancer, preferably before they develop cancer, so that we can get them on appropriate treatments where necessary and they avoid the pain and misery that cancer can bring.