Need to Know Newsletter #7: Diagnostics

UK healthcare's focus on defeating cancer is hamstrung by concerning trends in diagnosis. Early diagnosis has been shown repeatedly to be pivotal in improving survival rates, with the NHS aiming to diagnose 75% of all cancer cases at stage I or II.?

This is an ambitious aim, and there is a real risk that it will not be achieved. Two in five diagnoses occur at the advanced stages of cancer and one in five patients see their GP three times before receiving an official diagnosis. These figures rise in more deprived areas, with 21% of potential cases less likely to receive an urgent suspected cancer referral, revealing troubling healthcare inequalities.?

Bowel cancer, the UK's fourth most common form of cancer, takes 16,500 lives every year, putting pressure on the NHS to explore new early diagnostic technologies. To curb this worrying statistic, at-home bowel cancer screening kits were delivered nationwide over April as a part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.?

This initiative aims to automatically send "FIT Kits" to those aged 60-74 and expand to 50-59 by 2025, allowing for streamlined at-home screenings. With the growing acceptance of self-administered tests, we must see more similar early diagnostic initiatives implemented in the NHS to curb cancer deaths.?

ABHI Innovators Stand Ready?

A culture of identifying and adopting cutting-edge cancer innovations is essential to deliver commitments to improve early diagnosis and reduce health inequalities. ABHI member Flatiron Health UK is revolutionising cancer research and care through its commitment to learning from the experience of every patient with cancer. In April, Flatiron Health announced its extended collaboration with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), to develop high quality research-ready datasets, enabling cancer centres and researchers globally to create new research opportunities, advance patient treatment options and improve cancer care.?

There are promising moves by the NHS to address the issues around early cancer diagnosis. The NHS Cancer Programme’s Innovation Open Call is a mechanism designed to find more solutions to raise cancer early detection rates. The competition is open to medical devices, diagnostics tech, digital health solutions, AI tools and more. HealthTech developers are invited to share proposals for early cancer detection innovations, focusing on addressing healthcare inequalities.?

Successful applicants will receive financial support and benefit from expertise and guidance from the NHS Cancer Programme, SBRI Healthcare, and the Accelerated Access Collaborative. Innovators will need to submit an application by 29th May 2024.?

ABHI supports all initiatives to drive early cancer diagnosis to help the NHS achieve its ambitious 2028 early diagnosis goals. To learn how ABHI can support your early diagnostics business, visit our resource hub or contact ABHI Executive Director for Diagnostics Nishan Sunthares.