Ovarian cancer: Loyalty card data could help identify cases sooner

Data from loyalty cards used in over-the-counter purchases of medicines could be used to help diagnose ovarian cancer cases earlier, a study published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance has suggested.1

The study found that purchases of painkillers and indigestion treatments such as antacids were higher among women who subsequently had ovarian cancer diagnosed than in women who did not have ovarian cancer. This change in purchases was noticeable around eight months before diagnosis (Fisher exact odds ratio 2.9 (95% confidence interval 2.1 to 4.1)).

The researchers, from Imperial College London, University College London, and the University of Birmingham, used data from two loyalty cards linked to UK …