The NHS is set to help find thousands of volunteers for a genetic screening clinical trial funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The charity's £3.8 million PROTECT-C trial, led by Professor Ranjit Manchanda at Queen Mary University of London, will explore the idea of offering women tests to determine if they are at high risk of developing cancer.

The trial has been selected as one of three new cancer projects supported by the NHS DigiTrials initiative - which aims to enlist tens of thousands of volunteers over the next 12 months to help improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The NHS DigiTrials recruitment service, managed by NHS England, identifies NHS patients who might be suitable for a certain trial and contacts them to see if they would like to take part.

Professor Manchanda said: "We are thrilled to be working with NHS DigiTrials to support invitations and recruitment for the PROTECT-C study.

"Currently, women can only access genetic testing if they have a family history of cancer, which misses more than half of carriers in people who have been diagnosed with cancer and much larger numbers in people who do not have cancer, denying them opportunities for screening and cancer prevention.

"The concept of broadening genetic testing for cancer genes across the entire population could prevent thousands more cancers than any current strategy, saving many lives."

Women participating in the PROTECT-C trial will be offered tests to determine if they carry inherited genetic changes or faults that can increase the risk of breast, ovarian, bowel, or womb cancer.

In Yorkshire, more than 7,400 breast, bowel, womb, and ovarian cancers are diagnosed each year, according to Yorkshire Cancer Research, with up to 790 of these being related to genetic faults.

The PROTECT-C trial will involve 5,000 people from Yorkshire and across the UK, including women, trans men, and non-binary people with female reproductive organs, said a spokesperson.

Those identified as being at increased risk of breast, ovarian, bowel, and womb cancer will have the option through the NHS to have regular screening so that if they develop cancer, they are diagnosed at the earliest possible stage.

They will also have the opportunity to access preventative medicine or surgery to prevent cancers developing.

The study will evaluate the impact of testing on psychological health, wellbeing, lifestyle, and participation in screening and preventive strategies, as well as exploring how testing can be introduced for everyone through the NHS.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, director of research at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: "The findings of the PROTECT-C trial could provide an excellent new way for women, and their families, to find out if they are at high risk of cancer."

To learn more about the PROTECT-C clinical trial, please visit https://www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/research-story/protect-c