Doctors could in the future be able to predict individual chances of getting cancer and offer personalised detection and prevention, thanks to a new research project involving UCL researchers.
The Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme is supported by £10 million from Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The programme aims to access and link data from different sources - including health records, genomics, family history, demographics, and behavioural data - to develop advanced statistical models that help scientists accurately predict who is most likely to get cancer.
Alongside this, the programme will develop powerful new tools which use AI to analyse the data and calculate an individual's risk of cancer throughout their lifetime.
Professor Yoryos Lyratzopoulos (UCL Behavioural Science & Health and Group Lead of ECHO - Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), who co-leads one of the key Driver Programmes within the project (risk prediction in symptomatic patients), said: "My colleagues and I are excitedly looking forward to contributing to this UK-wide effort, leveraging our expertise in data science to expedite diagnosis and reduce cancer mortality.
"UCL's participation recognises our expertise in cancer healthcare epidemiology and the broader scientific field of improving medical diagnosis for symptomatic patients."
Over the next five years, the funding will build the infrastructure required to access and link these datasets, train new data scientists, create the algorithms behind the risk models and evaluate the algorithms and AI tools to ensure that they are giving accurate and clinically useful information about cancer risk.
The scientific programme will be guided by partnerships with cancer patients, the public, clinical experts and industry, while addressing ethical and legal considerations to ensure that the models and tools work well in practice.
The models generated from this research could be used to help people at higher risk of cancer in different ways. For example, the NHS could offer more frequent cancer screening sessions or screening at a younger age to those at higher risk, whilst those at lower risk could be spared unnecessary tests.
People identified as higher risk could also be sent for cancer testing faster when they go to their GP with possible cancer signs or symptoms. Individuals at higher risk could also access different ways to prevent cancer.
Professor Antonis Antoniou, Director of the Cancer Data Driven Detection programme based at the University of Cambridge, said: "Finding people at the highest risk of developing cancer, including those with vague symptoms, is a major challenge. The UK's strengths in population-scale data resources, combined with advanced analytical tools like AI, offer tremendous opportunities to link disparate datasets and uncover clues that could lead to earlier detection, diagnosis, and prevention of more cancers.
"The Cancer Data Driven Detection programme will build the partnerships and infrastructure needed to make data-driven cancer early detection, diagnosis and prevention a routine part of frontline healthcare.
"Ultimately, it could inform public health policy and empower individuals and their healthcare providers to make shared decisions.
"By understanding individual cancer risks, people can take proactive steps to stop cancer before it gets worse or even begins in the first place."
Earlier diagnosis of cancer saves lives. Yet according to analysis of NHS figures by Cancer Research UK, only 54.4% of cancers in England are diagnosed at stages one and two*, where treatment is more likely to be successful.
NHS England has set a target to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028, and this will only be achieved with research and embracing new technologies to catch cancer earlier.
Dr David Crosby, Head of Prevention and Early Detection Research at Cancer Research UK, said: "The single most important thing we can do to beat cancer is to find it earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful.
"Moving towards a preventative approach to healthcare will not be easy and will take time. Cancer Research UK's investment in the programme is an investment in the future of cancer care."
Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, said: "When it comes to fighting cancer, every second counts. As the Prime Minister set out last week, we're backing the power of big data and AI, which has the potential to help even more patients, including those with cancer, to help catch it earlier.
"Using the latest technology could revolutionise how the NHS diagnoses and treats patients. As part of this government's Plan for Change, we will transform our health service from analogue to digital, and innovative projects like this show exactly how we will achieve it."
The Cancer Data Driven Detection programme is also supported by Health Data Research UK and Administrative Data Research UK.
