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A pioneering study into myeloma, a rare cancer, could lead to GPs using simple blood tests to improve early diagnosis.

Photograph of a dropper dropping blood into a test tube

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The study investigated the best combination of blood tests that could be used to diagnose myeloma in GP practices.

The research was a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the University of Exeter and Chiddenbrook Surgery, Crediton, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is published in the British Journal of General Practice.

Researchers investigated how useful a number of different measures were for indicating the presence of the disease, and suggested what combinations of these tests were sufficient to rule out the disease, and to diagnose it, saving the patient from the worry of specialist referral.

Find out more (University of Oxford)