Early Cancer Detection

What are the challenges we are tackling?

1. Assessing cancer risk

Identifying cancer in asymptomatic patients, and those at an increased risk of developing cancer, is one way to target screening programmes to those that need it most and ensure that cancer is diagnosed as early as possible.

To address this, Oxford is applying its expertise in epidemiology, data science, (epi)genomics and infection/immunity through cross-disciplinary collaborations to allow assessment of an individual’s risk for cancer using mechanistic insights and large population studies. 

2. Predicting progression

Individuals who have conditions that place them at higher risk of developing cancer are routinely monitored for tumours. This repeated monitoring is costly and takes a toll on the emotional welfare of individuals, the vast majority of whom never go on to develop cancer. A better understanding of the drivers of progression are needed so that those at no risk of developing cancer can be discharged from care.

In addition, this approach will enable better prediction of those who are likely to develop cancer and fast track them for preventative treatments. Using novel technologies, Oxford researchers are investigating ways of predicting cancer progression.

3. Developing novel diagnostic strategies

Diagnosing cancer can currently involve dangerous invasive procedures and expensive medical scans. Often, these approaches are cancer type specific and typically applied sequentially, which means that from the moment a patient presents with symptoms, it can sometimes be weeks or months before a diagnosis is received. For late-stage cancers this often decreases the success of treatment.

Oxford researchers are combatting these challenges in a variety of ways, including identifying new early-stage cancer biomarkers, non-invasive analytical methods and integrating them into novel multi-cancer and cancer-specific platforms for rapid diagnosis. 

OUR SCIENTIFIC THEMES

Oxford has fundamental academic strength in four areas of science. Through multidisciplinary collaborations, expertise in these four areas are being applied to cancer research.