In some parts of the world, May is National Cancer Research Month – a month dedicated to highlighting the importance of lifesaving research into the devastating group of diseases collectively called cancer. Cancer affects millions of people across the globe. Statistics show that in 2018, there were more than 17 million new cases of cancer and an estimated 9.6 million deaths worldwide. According to the National Cancer Institute, this number is expected to rise to 29.5 million cases, and 16.4 million cancer-related deaths by 2040. With statistics like these, it’s clearer than ever that more needs to be done to accelerate progress against cancer, and we firmly believe that the answer lies in research.
The goal of cancer research is to develop safe and effective methods to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer. Unsurprisingly, there is no quick fix – research takes a huge amount of time and money. The general public most often associate cancer research with the development of treatments and hopefully a cure. However, as we know, early detection of cancer could actually prevent the need for the most invasive and debilitating treatments. The NHS Long Term Plan recognises this and has identified early detection to be a priority. Nevertheless, many people are frustrated at what seems like slow progress. Our own survey based out of 2,003 adults showed that 63% of people questioned felt that current cancer diagnosis methods take too long. We hope to change this through the introduction of our technology to key decision makers within the NHS and beyond.
We have partnered with Dr. Johannes Coy, a world-renowned cancer research scientist with more than 30 years of experience. Dr. Coy and his team developed the Epitope Detection in Macrophages (EDIM) technology that is used in our highly successful early cancer detection blood test, PanTum Detect. Unlike other liquid biopsy techniques, EDIM technology – which is the result of many years of research and development – tracks two biomarkers that together can detect the presence of early-stage cancer. This will enable prompt diagnosis and improve patient outcomes. You can read more about the research and technology behind PanTum Detect by downloading our whitepaper.
We urge governments to provide more funding for cancer research, particularly in the field of early diagnosis. We would also welcome any opportunity to partner with NHS or private providers to demonstrate our technology, and hope that our research could hold the key to unlocking faster, simpler early cancer diagnosis that will save lives. You can contact us using the form on our website.
Resources:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/worldwide-cancer
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics