England to Trial Blood Tests for Multiple Cancers at GP Practices

A new trial in primary care

November 4, 2026 · 5:30 a.m. Central

More than 20,000 patients are expected to take part in an English trial testing whether blood samples can help general practitioners identify people who need further investigations for several cancers, the UK government announced.

The study, called STRIDE-RCT, is planned across at least 200 GP practices. Participating patients aged 45 and older who visit their doctor with abdominal symptoms may be offered a chance to take part. The University of Birmingham lists the research project; the Leamington Observer also reports the planned trial.

The tests are being studied, not offered as a proven replacement for existing diagnostic care. A positive result alone does not confirm cancer, according to the government announcement.

What the researchers will study

The government says the tests will look for signs associated with several cancers from a blood sample and may help suggest where in the body a signal originated. The cancers under study include bowel, pancreatic, liver, ovarian and prostate cancers.

Most participants receiving a trial test will provide one or two tubes of blood alongside routine tests, the announcement says. Researchers want to see how the tests perform alongside clinical judgment and whether they can help identify patients for urgent follow-up sooner.

Taking part in the trial is not a guarantee of earlier diagnosis. The study still needs to establish the tests’ accuracy, benefits and possible harms in this setting before any decision on wider use.

Why evidence matters

Symptoms such as persistent bloating or abdominal discomfort can have many causes, which makes it difficult for a GP to decide when further investigation is needed. A useful test would have to help with those decisions without causing unnecessary alarm or missed diagnoses.

A separate earlier NHS study evaluated a different multi-cancer blood test, Galleri, in people without symptoms. Queen Mary University of London reported that the trial did not meet its primary goal of reducing late-stage diagnoses across the prespecified cancers. Researchers did observe fewer stage IV diagnoses among those offered the test, but said longer follow-up was needed. Those findings do not determine how the different STRIDE tests will perform.

Patients with persistent or concerning symptoms should discuss them with a clinician; a trial result is not a substitute for an individual medical assessment.

Where the research is based

The trial is planned across England. The star marks the approximate Birmingham area, home to the university leading the project; it is not a participating clinic or a patient location.

Key dates

1. November 1, 2026 — The project’s listed start date, according to the University of Birmingham.
2. November 4, 2026 — The UK government announced the STRIDE-RCT trial.
3. Future — Researchers will assess the evidence before a decision on broader implementation; no outcome has yet been established.

Sources and visual credits

UK government: trial announcement · University of Birmingham: project listing · Leamington Observer: trial report · Queen Mary University of London: separate Galleri trial.

Visual: conceptual blood-sample and laboratory illustration, not a photograph of the study or a test result. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.