Innovations to find and diagnose cancer earlier awarded more than £500k funding

Eight innovations have secured more than £500,000 of funding to produce new and improved methods of finding and diagnosing cancer at an early stage across the North East and North Cumbria.

Projects include using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help detect prostate cancer in Gateshead, raising awareness of skin cancer in rural and farming communities in County Durham and encouraging patients to attend hospital appointments in Northumberland, North Tyneside and North Cumbria.

The grants come from an Unmet Need Call launched by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) in partnership with the Northern Cancer Alliance (NCA), with the aim of diagnosing 75 per cent of cancers at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

Innovators from a range of health sectors were encouraged to tackle this challenge head-on with funding prioritised for initiatives that help to address health inequalities.

“We have delivered several unmet need calls and had a tremendous response to our latest with eight projects selected for funding. Over the next 12 months, we look forward to highlighting the impact of these projects and how they make a real difference to both patients and our cancer services”

Dr Stephen Lynn, HI NENC’s Associate Commercial Director, said: “We have been working with the Northern Cancer Alliance since 2020 to identify and implement well-evidenced innovations to support the regional and national priorities in preventing, diagnosing earlier and treating cancer.

“We have delivered several unmet need calls and had a tremendous response to our latest with eight projects selected for funding. Over the next 12 months, we look forward to highlighting the impact of these projects and how they make a real difference to both patients and our cancer services.”

Aaron Tucker, Head of Programmes for NCA, said: “Detecting and diagnosing more cancers at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful is a major priority for us, and embracing innovation is a key part to making that happen.

“We were really pleased with the engagement in this call and the breadth of projects put forward, and will be working with the teams to improve outcomes for patients and drive innovation in cancer pathways in the North East and North Cumbria.”

The eight projects are:

Improve uptake of lung cancer screening – Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

This innovation will pilot two part-time health coaches in Northumbria Primary Care GP practices in Northumberland and North Tyneside to increase uptake of lung cancer screening in the 20 per cent most deprived populations to target health inequalities. It will promote a Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and support positive health behaviours.

Provide reassurance about bowel cancer screening – Durham Dales Health Federation

This initiative will raise awareness among patients, aged 50, at 12 GP practices in County Durham through a variety of communications methods about bowel cancer screening before they receive their first kit. This will highlight the new lower age for screening and provide reassurance about the process and its importance.

Assess use of an AI-based tool for prostate cancer – South of Tyne and Wear Pathlabs

This project will assess the use and impact of IBEX Galen Prostate in a year-long trial in Gateshead. Powered by AI, the diagnostic tool is designed to assist pathologists to detect and grade prostate cancer.

Improve attendance at appointments – North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

This innovation will target patients who have cancers, such as upper gastrointestinal eg stomach, and who do not attend appointments. The aim is to understand the reasons why and provide patients with tailored personalised support to overcome any barriers and encourage them to attend. This will help improve non-attendance rates.

Raise awareness of the symptoms of common cancers – Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP)

This initiative will raise awareness of the symptoms of common cancers across County Durham among people accessing workplace health and adult wellbeing services. It will be delivered in partnership by PCP and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and will be supported by content on social media and websites.

Identify patients who require additional support to access appointments – Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

This project will develop and implement predictor tools to identify patients with suspected cancer who require additional support to access diagnostic appointments in Northumberland and North Tyneside. It is designed to improve Did Not Attend (DNA) rates and prevent breaches of the Faster Diagnostic Standard to ensure that patients who are referred for suspected cancer receive a timely diagnosis.

Promote early cancer diagnosis in ethnic minority backgrounds – BME Network CIC

This innovation – Cancer Awareness Connect – will use trusted community platforms, media campaigns, and cancer ambassadors to promote early cancer diagnosis in culturally diverse and underserved populations in Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley. Outlets that will be used will include CVFM Radio, Tees Valley Muslim Council networks, and Middlesbrough Diverse Communities Forum.

Promote skin cancer awareness among rural and farming communities – Durham Dales Health Federation

Farmers are particularly at high risk of skin cancer due to prolonged exposure to the sun, often without adequate protection. This initiative aims to promote skin cancer awareness with tailored campaigns, including education on ultraviolet protection and identifying symptoms, with accessible screening services to be made available in rural areas.

For more information, please contact Dr Stephen Lynn: [email protected]