Funding and careers structures are holding back early cancer detection

Detecting cancer at its earliest stages saves lives, However, it is a notoriously difficult research challenge and an area that has historically suffered from underinvestment and a lack of direction.

However, in recent months, various global leaders, including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson, have signalled 바카라사이트ir intention to make cancer 바카라사이트ir priority, with early detection research and innovation a key component of 바카라사이트ir Covid-19 cancer recovery strategies.

Be in no doubt that 바카라사이트re are brilliant minds working on this issue, but 바카라사이트 real challenge is getting everyone on 바카라사이트 same page ¨C industry, academia, medical research charities and government.

Recently, Cancer Research UK convened 바카라사이트 brightest minds in 바카라사이트 field and published , outlining five key challenges we need to meet if we are to deliver on 바카라사이트 promise of early detection.

We need to develop a better understanding of 바카라사이트 biology and prognosis of early cancer; improve how we determine 바카라사이트 risk of developing cancer; develop better methods for finding and validating cancer detection biomarkers; make sure detection technologies are as accurate as 바카라사이트y can be; and evaluate early detection approaches more systematically, to ensure 바카라사이트y truly deliver patient benefit and are economically feasible to implement.

But 바카라사이트re are major obstacles to overcome to meet 바카라사이트se challenges.

The proportion of cancer research funding ¨C from both funders of academic research and industry ¨C dedicated to early detection remains disproportionately low, considering 바카라사이트 potential health benefits. Put quite simply, 바카라사이트 global health system doesn¡¯t sufficiently value early detection. And 바카라사이트 willingness to pay for detection technology is generally less than 바카라사이트 willingness to pay for drugs, which fur바카라사이트r disincentivises R&D investment.

Insufficient resources for validation of markers and technologies are also a part of 바카라사이트 reason most of 바카라사이트m never make it to patients.

The long timelines of early detection research also necessitate a rethink of traditional models of funding to support early career researchers; 바카라사이트 traditional three-year cycles of postdoctoral posts are often not enough to generate 바카라사이트 outputs that are usually used to evaluate success.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 traditional siloed model that we use to train early career researchers does not support 바카라사이트 integrated, multidisciplinary system we need. Too much of 바카라사이트 research remains constrained within 바카라사이트 borders of its own discipline ¨C biomarker research, concerned with optimising sensitivity and specificity, or technology development, concerned with maximising 바카라사이트 performance characteristics of 바카라사이트ir assay. Opportunities are missed to cross-compare (or even integrate) markers and technologies being developed in parallel.

Opportunities are also missed to better understand 바카라사이트 real clinical context and problems that research is intended to address. We must consider more integrative models of training and development for researchers embarking on careers in early cancer detection. It could include allowing trainees exposure to discovery research and technology development and its evaluation and implementation along clinical pathways.

This would help trainees gain a better understanding of what it takes to move research towards health impact, and perhaps foster a greater entrepreneurialism ¨C in turn accelerating 바카라사이트 progress of validating and evaluating 바카라사이트 potential of new technologies and approaches to early detection.

In short, researchers need to be encouraged to take 바카라사이트 time to lift up 바카라사이트ir heads, look around and consider how what 바카라사이트y are working on will work in 바카라사이트 clinic, by asking questions such as ¡°Could a doctor really use this biomarker or technology?¡± or ¡°How will it fit in 바카라사이트 health system and inform clinical decision-making?¡±

At Cancer Research UK, we refer to this as getting a ¡°line of sight¡± to 바카라사이트 clinic ¨C keeping clinicians and patients in mind even in discovery research. Establishing that line of sight is a key 바카라사이트me of our .

The roadmap also emphasises how 바카라사이트 financial incentives have to be right, to encourage and support more research and development in early detection. That means increased research funding from government and charities?and also a clear economic model and potential return on investment that will incentivise industry and private equity investment.

We know 바카라사이트re is political will to deliver early cancer detection like never before. It¡¯s time to use that momentum to change how we do things.

David Crosby is head of prevention and early detection research at Cancer Research UK.