The first local participants in the world’s largest trial of a ground-breaking cancer test have been attending appointments in Kent this week.

The blood test, Galleri TM can detect more than 50 types of cancer often before symptoms appear. The trial, which has begun in Dartford, could help save the lives of people here in the UK and around the world.

The test checks for the earliest signs of cancer in the blood. Research has shown it is particularly effective at finding cancers that are difficult to identify early – such as head and neck, bowel, lung, pancreatic, and throat cancers.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid has described the test as revolutionary.

The trial participants, who are all aged between 50 and 77, responded to letters sent from the NHS within the last few weeks inviting them to take part.

The mobile clinic will move on to other locations in Kent and Medway in the coming months, with dates and locations to be confirmed.

Dr Henry Taylor, clinical lead at Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance, which is involved in co-ordinating the trial locally, said: “The response to the NHS-Galleri trial in Kent and Medway has been incredibly impressive.

“These people are contributing to a study that could prevent cancer deaths not just here but across the UK and around the world.

"Diagnosing cancer as early as possible means patients can start treatment before their cancer progresses and improve chances of survival.”

The trial is the latest initiative launched by the NHS to meet its Long Term Plan commitment of finding three-quarters of cancers at an early stage by 2028.

Patients whose condition is diagnosed at ‘stage one’ typically have between five and 10 times the chance of surviving at least five years compared with those found at ‘stage four’.

The participants have had a blood sample taken at their first appointment and will be invited back after 12 months, and again at two years, to give further samples.

All participants will be advised to continue with their standard NHS screening appointments and to still contact their GP if they notice any new or unusual symptoms.

Initial results of the study are expected by 2023 and, if successful, NHS England plans to extend the rollout to a further one million people in 2024 and 2025.

The test works by finding chemical changes in fragments of genetic code – cell-free DNA (cfDNA) – that leak from tumours into the bloodstream.

The NHS-Galleri trial, the first of its kind, will assess how well the test works in the NHS and whether the technology can be used as a tool to screen people with no cancer symptoms.

The trial is being run by The Cancer Research UK and King’s College London Cancer Prevention Trials Unit in partnership with the NHS and healthcare company, GRAIL, which has developed the Galleri test.

It aims to recruit 140,000 participants nationally, including people from different backgrounds and ethnicities to ensure results are relevant for as many different people as possible.

As well as Kent, people living in Cheshire and Merseyside, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England and South East London are taking part.

Any participants whose results indicate a possible cancer will be urgently followed up in the NHS.

To keep up-to-date with all the latest developments with your local hospitals and other health stories, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent