London doctors have launched a new project that uses camera photos to diagnose mouth cancer.
Patients with suspected mouth cancer have photos taken by a clinical photography team at Barking Community Diagnostic Centre rather than seeing a consultant in person, which can take weeks.
A head and neck consultant examines the image to make a diagnosis, and patients receive a call back within a day to confirm whether they have cancer or not.
The pilot scheme is being run by Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust (BHRNT), who were on Tuesday praised by Health Secretary Wes Streeting as one of the fastest improving Trusts in England.
Since the beginning of the pilot in June, 95 per cent of patients have been reassured they do not have cancer without facing an anxious wait to see a consultant.
Six of the patients involved in the pilot have been diagnosed with mouth cancer.
Once a patient is diagnosed, their next steps are arranged including blood tests, scans, biopsies, x-rays and an appointment with a surgeon.
Neil Shah, a consultant at BHRNT who is leading on the pilot, said: “Time is of the essence as mouth cancer can move fast. Scans for diagnosis can be complex and we carry out three different types to fully confirm. Therefore, the quicker patients are started on the diagnosis and treatment process, the better.
“Mouth cancer can be seen by looking in the mouth, identifying lumps or legions which could be cancerous, whereas other forms of head and neck cancer, such as throat cancer, cannot be seen in the same way.”
He said the method allows doctors to concentrate resources on the most serious cases, while saving patients having to take time out to go to hospital.
Symptoms of mouth cancer include ulcers or white or red patches anywhere in the mouth, or a lump or swelling in the mouth, jaw or neck, which do not heal within three weeks.
Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, a chronic sore throat which persists for more than six weeks, or a feeling that something is caught in the throat.
