Overview
- NICE issued draft early‑use guidance on Monday recommending EndoSure and Endotest for NHS primary care in a three‑year rollout to collect evidence before wider adoption.
- Endotest uses a saliva sample sent to a lab to detect microRNA markers and EndoSure records abdominal gut electrical signals with sensor pads during a monitored water‑drinking test.
- NICE and clinicians stress neither test is a standalone diagnostic and they are intended to support GPs in deciding who needs further investigation or referral.
- A University of Edinburgh study reported a distinct blood hormone fingerprint of 11‑oxygenated androgens that identified more than 95% of cases in its sample of 159 confirmed patients and 57 controls, but the team says larger and more diverse validation is needed.
- If validated and implemented with GP training, the tests could cut long NHS delays to diagnosis, free surgical capacity now used for diagnostic laparoscopy, and require attention to equity and data collection during the pilot.