ISSN: 2155-9937
Daniela Iaccarino
Early cancer detection is a public and policy goal, with primary
care being the best place to do it. This has sparked a desire for
better cancer early detection tests, preferably ones that can be
used in primary care settings. The development of novel
biomarkers and other tests, on the other hand, has mostly
benefitted prognostication and surveillance of patients who have
already been diagnosed with the disease. In contrast, enhancing
the precision and timeliness of cancer diagnosis in cancer
patients who arrive to primary care with symptoms has yielded
modest advantages. A broader set of superior testing could be
game-changing. This ‘grand challenge’ of improving early cancer
diagnosis has been recognized by a wide range of stakeholders
including policymakers, purchasers, health care providers and
consumers, and industry.