Innovative technologies for early disease detection and ongoing surveillance of high-risk individuals are vital components of prevention and treatment strategies. To bolster engagement with risk identification programs, it is essential to identify people with the potential to develop disease before the onset of clinical symptoms, which are often indicative of advanced disease. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now being used alongside traditional health screening methods to identify at-risk individuals who are candidates for surveillance programs. Once identified, advanced diagnostic assays can be used for monitoring, leading to timely interventions and more targeted care. Combining AI and new surveillance technologies can significantly impact the care and management of high-risk patients.
The state of early detection for cancer Populations are comprised of unique individuals, including many with higher or lower than average risk of any disease or treatment response. Certain cancers provide a good example of high-risk disease that is often caught too late for treatment efficacy. Current health guidelines recommend screenings for a limited number of cancers and only for those with risk factors such as age and family history of cancer. Historically, high-risk individuals (representing fewer than 1% of the population) have been challenging to identify because of incomplete or inaccurate medical records and unknown or incomplete family medical histories. However, a better understanding of the genetics that leads to cancer, along with emerging technologies, is helping cast a wider net and increase the eligibility for cancer surveillance programs. Through surveillance, research has shown an improvement in early-stage cancer detection, leading to lower mortality rates for more challenging cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer represents 8.3% of all cancer-related deaths and is one of several cancer types commonly diagnosed after the disease has metastasized. Because most pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed at later stages, the 5-year survival rate is just 12.5%, much lower than the average survival rate of 68.4% for all cancers. Recent research from the U.S. and the Netherlands shows that enrolling people at risk for pancreatic cancer in surveillance programs can lead to a stage shift where most cancers are detected when they are still localized.
Pancreatic cancer risk is currently assessed based on factors including age, family history, and behavioral and clinical indicators, with the more recent addition of genetic status. However, a lack of consistent medical records, heterogeneous clinical recommendations, and uneven application of clinical practices has led to only a fraction of eligible people entering surveillance programs.
