The risk of getting cancer will be assessed by a tailored computer programme which will be used by every family doctor within the next five years, the NHS''s cancer tsar has revealed.
The tool will be used to help GPs decide if their patient needs to be sent for urgent testing, according to Professor Mike Richards, the Department of Health''s National Cancer Director.
The programme could also help diagnose cancer in its early stages and help save lives, Professor Richards told The Guardian.
He said the additional diagnostic tool could lead to "better decision-making by GPs" but said family doctors would still have the final say about whether to refer a patient.
Prof Richards said it would take "a remarkable human brain" to retain all the information needed about symptoms of different cancers as well as for all the other ailments GPs have to identify and added: "Why not get computers to support it?"
"The benefit of this will be that GPs will know who should be investigated and who shouldn''t," he said.
"It will also help patients to know that whether they are being reassured, or referred, or getting a test, that is the right thing to do."
The computer would assess risk by taking into account a patient''s age, weight and any symptoms like as rectal bleeding or constant fatigue.
If risk was considered to be above a certain level, the person could be referred to hospital for urgent exploratory tests within two weeks.
Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2009