{"id":27293,"date":"2021-07-27T12:45:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T12:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/?p=23353"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:34","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:34","slug":"how-can-we-diagnose-more-cancers-earlier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/how-can-we-diagnose-more-cancers-earlier\/","title":{"rendered":"How can we diagnose more cancers earlier?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"LungLung cancer CT scan<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/LungCancerCTscan-300×168.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/LungCancerCTscan.jpg”><\/p>

3,000 to 4,000 cancer deaths a year could be prevented by lung cancer CT screening programmes, beyond current lung health checks, writes Professor Charles Swanton. Lung cancer CT scan<\/span> Credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a>\/CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s an eye-opening statistic. 1 in 2 people in the UK<\/a> will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.<\/p>\n

Like many, we want to make a difference. Our ambition is to accelerate progress and see 3 in 4 people surviving the disease within the next 20 years<\/p>\n

Key to this is diagnosing cancer at an early stage, when it\u2019s more likely to be treated successfully, meaning a better chance of survival.<\/p>\n

UK governments recognise the importance of diagnosing cancer at an early stage and there are various targets, plans and initiatives in place to work towards it. In England, the NHS have set bold ambitions for cancer<\/a>, including that 3 in 4 cancers should be diagnosed at stage 1 or stage 2 by 2028, something we covered at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But despite these ambitions and increased efforts in recent years, the proportion of cancers diagnosed at an early stage (1 and 2) has been stubbornly stable.<\/p>\n

\"NHS<\/p>\n

Copy this link and share our graphic<\/a>. Credit: Cancer Research UK<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And with an ageing population, the total number of people being diagnosed with cancer each year will increase<\/a>. This means that the government will need to increase diagnostic services just to maintain the current proportion of cancer patients diagnosed early.<\/p>\n

To hit its ambition of 3 in 4 patients diagnosed early in England, the government will need an additional 100,000 patients to be diagnosed early each year from 2028. A monumental task that will require action on multiple fronts.<\/p>\n

How do we get there, and beyond?<\/h2>\n

A lot has been done already to move the dial, including the launch of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI<\/a>) in 2008. NAEDI, which Cancer Research UK co-chaired with the then National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Sir Mike Richards, did a huge amount to grow and mobilise the early diagnosis community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe early diagnosis community has grown so much over the years, and there has been some excellent work done,\u201d says Dr Jodie Moffat, head of strategic evidence and early diagnosis programme lead at Cancer Research UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s more we can be doing to ensure that we\u2019re acting on all the things we know can make a difference now, preparing ourselves for what\u2019s coming down the pipeline, and investing in the research that will identify the interventions of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help, we\u2019ve estimated the impact different types of activity could make to the stage distribution of cancer at an all-cancer level.<\/p>\n

\"Graphic<\/p>\n

Copy this link to share our graphic<\/a>. Credit: Cancer Research UK<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Key areas of activity include:<\/p>\n