PROSTATE CANCER TEST 'HOLY GRAIL'

Spit samples will reveal men's risk of getting disease

- MARTIN BAGOT

A SPIT test to predict which men will develop prostate cancer has been hailed as "the holy grail for the future of healthcare".

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has signed off on an NHS trial of the potentially game-changing DIY procedure.

If successful, men will be screened for genetic risk from the age of 40, with some then fast-tracked for regular tests.

Mr Streeting told us: "More than catching cancer early, the real prize is predicting and preventing it.

"The Institute for Cancer Research, in partnership with the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, will create a test that uses saliva to identify risk of prostate cancer.

"From the comfort of your own home, you'll be able to do a simple test that could save your life, before cancer has even developed.