Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales

The tests have been approved for three years, during which time further evidence will be collected on how well they work. Photograph: Chris Rout/Alamy View image in fullscreen The tests have been approved for three years, during which time further evidence will be collected on how well they work. Photograph: Chris Rout/Alamy Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales Saliva and gut sensor-based tests hailed as ‘gamechanger’ for millions of women who can wait years for diagnosis Two tests that can dramatically speed up diagnosis of endometriosis are to be made available on the NHS in England and Wales, in a move hailed as a “gamechanger” for millions of women. One in 10 women of reproductive age are affected by the condition, where tissue similar to that found in the womb lining grows elsewhere, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Symptoms include painful periods, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating and pain during or after sex. Current tests include ultrasound scans, MRI or a laparoscopy – where a camera is inserted through a tiny cut in the stomach. But despite the devastating effect it can have on a woman’s physical and mental health, and the large numbers affected, getting a diagnosis can take years. Women in England and Wales are typically forced to wait as long as a decade. Those eventually diagnosed with endometriosis have said diagnostic delays contribute to increased suffering, prolonged ill health and disease progression that can be more challenging to treat. Now the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has given the green light to two tests, EndoSure and Endotest. It says they will help rapidly reduce the time it takes for women to be told whether they have the condition. One provides results in just 45 minutes. Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, Nice’s healthtech programme director, said: “A diagnosis of endometriosis can for some women take the best part of a decade, with the UK average standing at nine years and four months, and rising to 11 years for those from ethnically diverse communities.” Delays meant chronic pain, affecting daily life, relationships and work, she said. “These technologies have the potential to change that by giving primary care professionals better non-invasive tools to identify endometriosis earlier, allowing earlier and better treatment. “Our draft guidance reflects our commitment to getting promising innovations to patients quickly, while making sure the evidence to support their wider use is built in a rigorous way.” Women with endometriosis more likely to experience early menopause, study finds Read more With Endotest, women give a saliva sample, which is sent off to a lab to check for tiny biological markers called microRNAs. This indicates the presence of endometriosis. The lab result is returned to the GP or another healthcare professional to inform the next steps in diagnosis and care. EndoSure can detect the condition by measuring electrical signals in