April 2, 2024

Dr. Brian Nicholson Joins the Consortium’s Clinical Utility Workgroup as UK Co-Chair

The MCED Consortium is thrilled to welcome Dr. Brian Nicholson of the University of Oxford to serve as the UK Co-Chair of our Clinical Utility Workgroup. In addition to his role as Associate Professor at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at Oxford, Dr. Nicholson is the Early Detection lead for the CRUK Oxford Cancer Centre, investigating community-based multi-cancer early detection testing and has been published on this topic many times over. Learn more about Dr. Nicholson here and check out more information on our Clinical Utility Workgroup here.

February 21, 2024

NIH launches research network to evaluate emerging cancer screening technologies

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a clinical trials network called the Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN) to evaluate emerging technologies for cancer screening. This initiative aims to support the Biden-Harris administration's Cancer Moonshot by identifying cancers earlier when they may be easier to treat. Eight groups have received funding from the NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI) to conduct the network's initial activities.

The MCED Consortium is excited about this new initiative and welcomes these studies to evaluate the benefits and harms of these promising new cancer screening technologies and to determine the best way to incorporate them into the standard of care.

Learn more about the research network here.

February 15, 2024

Health Equity Workgroup Member secures Cancer Research UK funding to help prepare healthcare providers and the public for MCED technologies

Dr Harriet Quinn-Scoggins, Health Equity Workgroup Member based in Cardiff University, UK, has secured a Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Primer Award. The study titled ‘Preparing healthcare providers and the public for Multi Cancer Early Detection (MCED) blood tests: towards equitable implementation through co-creation’ will start in May 2024. Bringing together national and international co-investigators and collaborators, researchers will use in-depth qualitative and co-creation methods to identify the information and communication needs of healthcare providers, policy makers and diverse members of the public for MCED blood tests, with a focus on health equity. Through the development of a specialist stakeholder consortium, key informant interviews and focus groups the research team will co-create a set of recommendations for a future communication strategy for MCEDs.

Several of our MCED Consortium Chairs and Workgroup Members are co-investigators and collaborators on the award including Prof Kate Brain, Dr Laura Marlow, Prof Larry Kessler, Prof Carmen Guerra and Ms Esther Krofah. This new study aligns with, and strengthens, the existing work of the Health Equity Workgroup who are working to evaluate and develop guidance on how the implementation of MCED technologies could be used to reduce healthcare disparities and advance health equity.

Dr Harriet Quinn-Scoggins (Principal Investigator) is a Medical Anthropologist, working as a Research Associate in the Wales Centre for Primary and Emergency Care Research where she supports and leads research into cancer screening, prevention and early diagnosis. If you would like to find out more about the study then please contact her directly via email – Quinn-ScogginsHD@Cardiff.ac.uk