Research

The CanDetect team has several studies underway. Together, these studies will contribute towards the development and evaluation of an electronic clinical decision support tool – called a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) Platform – to help family doctors detect possible UGI cancers as early as possible. The MCED Platform will combine clinical, biomarker and imaging information to help identify patients who need rapid access to further testing or hospital care and those who can be reassured and looked after by their family doctor.

Patients with non-specific symptoms will benefit from a ‘local, smart, one-stop’ diagnostic approach, for rapid triage and appropriate management in their primary care community setting. If the UGI MCED Platform proves effective, feasible and acceptable, we will aim to apply for funding for a large trial in primary care.

The CanDetect programme has three interrelated workstreams.

• Workstream 1 is looking at all the information currently available from general practice (demographics, symptoms, clinical findings, blood test results) as well as data from hospitals to develop a risk prediction model for UGI cancers. This has previously been done for single cancer sites but our new approach is for a number of cancers which can give similar symptoms and are difficult to diagnose. We will also focus on how health inequalities influence the timely detection and treatment of UGI cancers.
• Workstream 2 is evaluating blood and imaging tests which could help detect UGI cancers earlier. These will include currently known tests as well as new biomarkers, and imaging tests currently used in hospitals which could be more accessible to the community. A range of methods will be used including: systematic reviews, biochemical assays, studies with patients and AI approaches.
• Workstream 3 is using the findings of the other workstreams to develop a user-friendly UGI MCED Platform for primary care. Working closely with GPs and with patients, a new clinical decision support tool will be co-developed for real-time risk assessment. Cycles of development and evaluation will use qualitative and quantitative methods to test the prototype: we will examine whether it is functional, feasible, acceptable to patient and clinicians, and the costs and benefits for real-world utility.