New early cancer diagnosis research efforts confirmed for UK

New efforts will be made to progress the development of research into early cancer diagnosis methods in the UK, under new plans outlined by Cancer Research UK.

An additional 20 million pounds per year has been committed to finance studies aimed at ensuring cancers are diagnosed earlier, with a particular focus on improving the available technology.

Experts from various different areas of science – including biologists, clinicians, technology experts, physicists, engineers, molecular pathologists and biostatisticians – are being called upon to contribute, with the aim of creating more sophisticated screening techniques.

This will involve the development of new tests for early detection and better imaging technology to accurately locate and identify cancers, as well as creating better blood tests or scans to detect cancers in their early stages.

Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "Research will help diagnose cancers earlier, at the point when treatment is more likely to be successful. Research is also the only way we're going to develop better, kinder treatments."

Recent data from the organisation has shown that ten-year cancer survival has doubled from around 24 percent in the early 1970s to 50 percent today, but further improvements are still being sought.