Scientists are analysing shopping data to identify early signs of 10 different types of cancer (Image: Getty ) BBC Morning Live’s resident GP, Dr Oscar Duke, has revealed the latest findings from a study designed to potentially help people spot early warning signs of cancer through their purchasing patterns. The medical expert discussed the recent developments during today’s programme (February 11), presented by Neil Jones and Helen Skelton. Dr Oscar explored the research, spearheaded by Imperial College, now in its second phase, to establish whether loyalty card information from retailers such as Boots and Tesco could be used to identify potential “cancer red flags”. Scientists suggest that consumer behaviour recorded in loyalty card data, including that from Boots and Tesco, may help detect cancer earlier. The research involves nearly 3,000 participants to determine whether purchasing patterns can serve as an early warning for 10 different forms of cancer. Previous work by the same team found that an increase in purchasing painkillers and indigestion remedies could suggest early indicators of ovarian cancer. The scientists will now …