A real early detection ace

What’s exciting you in the cancer early detection field right now?

Detecting the disease at an earlier stage can not only dramatically improve survival rates, it also reduces the burden of aggressive treatments, improves quality of life, and helps to assign scarce resources. This makes early detection of cancer one of the most exciting and future-directed strategies in cancer research and care.

Historically, early detection strategies for cancer were limited, offering only a narrow window for intervention. Today’s technologies, low-dose CT-imaging or colonoscopy for example, allow for the detection of tumours with increasing accuracy and utility. Emerging technologies, including bioassays, will push this boundary. They’ll allow cancer to be identified at its earliest stages – including precancerous lesions – providing a basis for much earlier interception.

These developments are driven by rapid advances in biological understanding and technological innovation, which are transforming the possibilities of cancer early detection. One of the most promising developments is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and new biological, lifestyle and environmental insights to identify individuals at a higher risk of developing cancer. These advances allow for more targeted screening and tailored early intervention strategies.

Additionally, breakthroughs in liquid biopsy technology, genomics, advanced imaging, and endoscopy techniques are revolutionising how we detect and monitor cancer in its earliest forms. These tools provide a more precise and minimally invasive way to identify cancer long before symptoms appear. This gives me hope that we can continuously increase survival rates and improve quality of life.

One final consideration is that while there is consensus that efficient primary prevention strategies have enormous potential to decrease the incidence of cancer, it is also well recognised that it may take decades to prove their value. In contrast, early detection strategies bear potential to improve outcome and reduce the proportion of complex cancer therapies faster. This is particularly important in light of overloaded health care systems.

Why do you think international collaborations like ACED are so important for the field?

The early detection of cancer is a rapidly emerging field, and I don’t think it has received enough attention in the past. This has led to a shortage of researchers in the field, which of course has the knock-on effect of hampering the development of a critical mass of experts and early detection research programs.

Early detection research also requires a multidisciplinary approach – the complexity of early cancer detection extends far beyond traditional laboratory research. To address this gap, large-scale interinstitutional collaboration is essential. Ideally, collaborations should integrate expertise from biological and chemical laboratory science, cutting-edge technology, engineering, data science, epidemiology, clinical research, psychology, philosophy, ethics, and policy-making.

International collaborations like the Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED) provide a platform for sharing resources, knowledge, and expertise across borders. By fostering partnerships between institutions, researchers, policymakers, patients ACED can accelerate progress and ensure that early detection strategies are widely accessible.

The involvement of various disciplines enhances our ability to address the scientific, medical, and societal challenges associated with early detection, ultimately benefiting patients worldwide.

What do you think are the biggest barriers to innovation in the early-detection space?

One of the most significant challenges is this need for a paradigm shift in how early detection is perceived and implemented.

A transformative ethos needs to be established and spread. Scientists from very different backgrounds, clinicians, and the public must work together to create a collaborative approach that prioritizes early detection as a fundamental component of cancer care. For this to succeed, it is crucial that the right people find each other and establish effective networks to innovate.

Currently, industry investments tend to favor later-stage cancer treatments, but shifting the focus toward early detection can have long-term benefits for patients and healthcare systems alike.

Another major barrier is funding. Prevention research and early detection measures often struggle to secure adequate financial support, as they are not always seen as immediate priorities compared to curative treatments. Identifying the right cohorts for studies, ensuring accessibility to screening programs, and integrating early detection into healthcare policies require substantial investment and coordination.

Technological challenges also remain, for instance in the development of multi-cancer early detection assays. While promising, these assays still face difficulties in accurately pinpointing the tumor’s location and reducing false positives, which can lead to unnecessary anxiety for patients and produce costs for unnecessary additional medical exams or even invasive interventions. Addressing these issues will require continued research, regulatory support, and collaboration across multiple sectors.

In terms of embedding any given early detection breakthrough into a health system, what do you see as the big challenges – and do these vary internationally?

The successful implementation of early detection strategies requires strong interdisciplinary collaboration, sufficient funding, and clear policy frameworks to support screening programs. Also, the perspective of the public as ‘customers’ and experts in transfer, health economy, regulatory affairs, as well as health-care policy and implementation are key early on in this process. The creation of such an exciting early detection ecosystem is demanding and currently quite rare.

Healthcare systems around the world differ in their approaches to prevention and early detection, creating variations in how new technologies are adopted. In some countries, there is already a strong emphasis on prevention and early detection, whereas others prioritize treatment over screening. This disparity can affect the speed at which innovations are implemented and the level of public acceptance.

Additionally, disparities in access to healthcare services can limit the effectiveness of early detection initiatives. Ensuring that new screening tools and diagnostic methods are available to underserved populations on a national and global scale is a critical challenge that must be addressed to achieve equity in cancer care.

Where would you love the early detection field to be in the next 10 years?

I would love to see early detection as the “place to be” for researchers, care providers, and our societies.

Over the next decade, the goal for the early detection field should be to establish a higher level of evidence-based screening methods for targeted risk populations with improved accuracy and lower barriers to access. Currently, many early detection tests for cancers such as breast, prostate, and lung cancer still have limitations that need to be addressed. Achieving greater precision and reliability in early detection is crucial for widespread adoption and effectiveness.

A key priority should be the development of integrated research-healthcare systems that allow for efficient translational research strategies and implementation of early detection processes. Rather than requiring patients to visit multiple specialists a more coordinated, patient-friendly and low-threshold approach should be designed, validated, and implemented. This would ensure that at-risk-individuals receive timely screenings and follow-up care without unnecessary burdens.

I’d also like to see an acceptance of the importance of early detection among policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the general population. Public education campaigns and policy initiatives should focus on raising awareness of the benefits of early detection and reducing skepticism about its effectiveness. These initiatives need to be tailored to the diverse populations that make up our societies.

Addressing disparities in healthcare access is another critical goal. There are significant differences in prevention and early detection across societies, and underserved populations often lack access to early detection programs. Bridging this gap will require targeted efforts to ensure that all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to life-saving early detection technologies.

By addressing these challenges and leveraging new scientific and technological advances, the early detection field has the potential to revolutionise cancer care, significantly improving survival rates and reducing the global burden of cancer.