New endometriosis diagnosis method for UK women

A GP practice in Swindon is helping pioneer a new diagnostic test that could help some women get a faster diagnosis for endometriosis.

Currently the main way to diagnose whether a patient has the disease on the NHS is through a surgical procedure called a laparoscopy, under general anaesthetic.

EndoSure is a non-invasive method used in the USA and a few places in the UK but is not available on the NHS.

It costs around £500 and is only in a handful of places across the UK, including the Tadpole GP Surgery in Swindon.

Endometriosis is the name given to the condition where cells similar to the ones lining the womb are found elsewhere in the body.

Each month these cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up and breaking down.

It is thought that up to two million women across the country suffer from the condition.

The new test works by measuring the action of hormones in the pelvis and takes less than two hours, with the results being instantly available.

Charlotte, 20, is amongst the first patients to have access to the new test - Her mum suffered severely from the disease for years and Charlotte has shown symptoms for around six years.

"It's horrible, I'm curled up in a ball some days and I don't want to move," she said.

"It [the test] was painless and quite easy. Having surgery is not a great option, but this is such a great non-invasive way of figuring things out." Charlotte said.

On average it currently takes more than seven years to get a diagnosis from the first sign of symptoms, according to charity Endometriosis UK.

Dr David Griffiths is a gynaecologist who works at Great Western Hospital in Swindon and said early diagnosis is very important.

"Some women may decide to have a pregnancy early if they know they have the disease whereas other women may take other steps to help their fertility in the future, because that is the great worry at the end of the day," he said.

When treating women with the disease, he said the effects can be terrible, wrecking relationships and affecting jobs.

"When I diagnose a patient they often cry, because nobody actually believes them."

Currently the NHS is not actively considering using the Endosure test.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - NICE - said Lawmed, the UK distributor, would need to apply to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for approval and would need long-term data on results before it would be considered.

Lawmed say the first UK trial should start in a few months, funded by three major health insurers.