Cambridge Researchers Lead a £10 Million AI Initiative for Early Cancer Detection
Researchers at the University of Cambridge (UK) are set to lead a £10 million project aimed at helping doctors predict cancer risk and develop personalized detection and prevention plans.
The project, called The Cancer Data Driven Detection, will be led by Antonis Antoniou, Professor of Cancer Risk Prediction at the University of Cambridge. The initiative will integrate data from multiple sources, including health records, family history, genomics, demographics, and behavioural data, to create statistical models that predict cancer risk.
By leveraging advanced AI tools, the Cambridge team will analyze this data to calculate an individual’s lifetime cancer risk.
Over the next five years, the £10m funding will support the establishment of the necessary infrastructure needed to access and link these datasets, the training of new data scientists, the development of risk prediction algorithms, and the evaluation of AI tools to ensure they provide accurate and clinically relevant cancer risk assessments.
“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”
Antonis Antoniou, Professor of Cancer Risk Prediction at the University of Cambridge.
According to the researchers, the models developed through this project could significantly aid individuals with a higher risk of cancer in several ways.
For instance, the NHS could offer more frequent or earlier cancer screenings for high-risk individuals while exempting lower-risk patients from unnecessary tests, thereby optimizing resource allocation and reducing cost.
Additionally, those identified as high-risk could also receive expedited cancer testing when presenting associated symptoms to their GP, as well as access to alternative prevention options.
Early cancer diagnosis is known to improve prognosis. However, an analysis of Cancer Research UK’s data reveals that only 54% of cancers in England are currently detected at the early stages (Stages 1 and 2), where treatment is most effective.
In response to such figures, NHS England aims to diagnose 75% of cancers at these earlier stages by 2028. A target they believe can only be achieved through enhanced research and the adoption of new technologies to detect cancer earlier.
“Ultimately, The Cancer Data Driven Detection program 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.”
Antonis Antoniou, Professor of Cancer Risk Prediction at the University of Cambridge.
This initiative aligns with the UK government’s broader commitment to AI-driven innovation. The Prime Minister has pledged to position the UK as a world leader in AI, with significant financial support dedicated towards big data and AI advancements to harness their potential benefits.
Science Minister, Lord Patrick Vallance also highlighted AI’s transformative potential in UK healthcare, including earlier illness detection through medical imaging analysis and more efficient appointment planning to reduce NHS waiting lists. He emphasized that these technological developments would continue to evolve and improve patient care.
“This investment in harnessing the potential of data to spot those at risk of cancer represents the sort of innovation the Government’s new AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out to realise, so this technology improves lives, while transforming public services and boosting growth,”
Lord Patrick Vallance, The UK Science Minister.