Online search data could be used to detect gynaecological cancer cases earlier

Search engine data could be used to detect gynaecological cancer cases earlier, potentially months ahead of GP referrals, according to new research. A study, led by researchers and colleagues from UCL's Department of Computer Science and Microsoft, has identified differences in online search data between people with a benign gynaecological condition and those with a gynaecological cancer, particularly those with ovarian cancer. The study is published in BMC Public Health . "Our research suggests that it may be possible to build early detection tools using the internet which can identify women who may be at a higher risk of, in particular, ovarian cancers." Dr Srdjan Saso Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction - Ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynaecological cancer, is the sixth most common cancer in the UK, with around 7,400 people diagnosed each year and more than 4,000 deaths each year from the disease. There is currently no screening programme in place for early disease detection. Using Google data, the researchers noted a difference in search patterns as early as 360 days in advance of a GP referral and found that this provided a good prediction accuracy at around 60 days in advance of a GP referral. Different symptom patterns were also noted between the benign and cancer groups.