A gene test already used routinely in the NHS can guide use of chemotherapy in people with bowel cancer by predicting whether or not they will benefit.

Greater use of cancer tests is the key to tailoring use of new treatments for patients more precisely and so increasing their chances of being recommended for use within the NHS, experts say.

The NHS should offer all cancer patients genetic profiling of their cancers at diagnosis and during treatment to shape care and track how the disease evolves, a consensus group of leading experts has concluded.