LONDON: A new NHS-first, AI-enabled case-finding pathway has launched across North East Essex, aiming to improve the early detection of Oesophageal and stomach cancers, some of the hardest cancers to diagnose early and among those with the poorest outcomes in England.

Delivered in partnership between AstraZeneca, C the Signs, NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, Health Innovation East and GP Primary Choice, the programme represents the first time in England that population-level, AI-driven case finding has been implemented in primary care for Oesophageal and stomach cancers. C the Signs is a UK-developed, AI-powered clinical platform that enables the earliest and most accurate detection of cancer across more than 100 cancer types.

Upper gastrointestinal cancers do not currently have a national screening programme and often present with vague, non-specific symptoms. As a result, many patients are diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment options are limited, and outcomes are poor. In England, around four in five oesophageal and stomach cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, with survival strongly linked to how early the cancer is detected. This new pathway is designed to address that gap.

A proactive approach to finding risk earlier

“Upper gastrointestinal cancers are some of the hardest cancers to detect early, opportunities for earlier diagnosis are frequently missed,” said Dr Bea Bakshi, GP and Co-Founder of C the Signs. “This pathway supports earlier identification of risk and faster access to diagnostics, giving more patients the chance to be diagnosed when treatment is more effective.”

The pathway is implemented in primary care using the C the Signs platform, a UKCA-marked Class I medical device founded by NHS doctors. The technology analyses routinely collected clinical data within the electronic health record, alongside patient-reported information, to identify patients who may be at increased risk of cancer.

Eligible patients are proactively invited by SMS to complete a short digital assessment to evaluate symptoms and risk factors. Where cancer risk is identified, patients are rapidly triaged to the most appropriate diagnostic pathway, including capsule sponge testing, endoscopy, or CT scanning, depending on clinical presentation. As the delivery partner, GP Primary Choice ensures this model is operationalised effectively across practices, supporting consistent neighbourhood‑level implementation and enabling adoption at scale.

By supporting earlier identification and faster access to diagnostics, the pathway aims to detect more Oesophageal and stomach cancers at a stage when treatment is more effective and outcomes are improved.

C the Signs already supports more than 1,500 GP practices across England and is used by over 11,000 healthcare professionals. This new service builds on that existing NHS infrastructure to introduce a targeted, population-based approach to cancers that have historically been difficult to detect early.

Aligned with the National Cancer Plan

The launch follows the publication of the National Cancer Plan for England, which sets out a clear ambition to improve early diagnosis through proactive case finding, better use of electronic health record data, and primary care-led pathways that identify patients at highest risk earlier. The programme also reflects the increasing importance of neighbourhood‑level delivery and the role of GP federations in enabling consistent, scalable implementation across local systems.

The plan highlights the importance of moving from reactive diagnosis to more predictive, risk-based approaches, particularly for cancers without established screening programmes. This programme directly reflects those priorities, using data and technology to support earlier action and reduce avoidable delays in diagnosis.

Anna Arent, Head of Oncology, AstraZeneca UK

“We are delighted to embark on this new partnership, bringing transformative AI technology into our first pilot in gastrointestinal cancers. As reinforced in the recent publication of the National Cancer Plan, early detection is one of the most powerful ways we can change outcomes for patients, and innovations like this have the potential to identify cancer earlier, when it is most treatable. Primary care plays a critical role in the diagnosis pathway, and by equipping frontline clinicians with advanced tools that support fast and accurate decision making, we can help diagnose more people at the right time and in the right setting. This collaboration reflects AstraZeneca’s commitment to accelerating earlier diagnosis through meaningful partnerships, taking us a step closer to one day eliminating cancer as a cause of death.”

Diagnostics through the pathway will be delivered across communities in a primary care setting by GP Primary Choice, helping to bring investigations closer to patients homes while reducing pressure on acute hospital services.

Dr Peter Holloway, GP Cancer Lead for SNEE ICB and clinical lead for the project, said:

“We have developed unique and extensive local experience in community capsule sponge testing to improve diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. This project builds on our previous work but extends the scope to include all upper gastrointestinal cancers, including stomach and pancreas.

“By integrating local health data with service planning and using AI to group symptoms reported by patients, we hope to increase early cancer detection and thereby improve outcomes for cancers which currently can have a poor prognosis. This is one of the key priorities for the ICB and aligns with the new National Cancer Plan.”

This approach aligns with national policy ambitions to shift more care into neighbourhood and community settings, improving access, convenience, and patient experience.

Dave Chuter; OG cancer patient, Chair of ICPV (Independent Cancer Patients' Voice) and Chair DiCE (Digestive Cancers Europe) said:

"As an Oesophageal cancer patient with lived experience, I’ve seen from my support group network how first-hand how people with upper gastrointestinal cancers are too often diagnosed late, not because they didn’t seek help, but because the signs are difficult to recognise and easy to overlook as an everyday result of day to day life.

"What’s encouraging about this approach is that it doesn’t wait for patients to reach a crisis point. Using AI to proactively identify risk and invite people in for assessment is a meaningful and beneficial shift towards earlier diagnosis. For patients, that can mean more treatment options, more time, and a better chance of a positive outcome.

"Just as importantly, delivering this through primary care and closer to home makes access easier and more open to everyone, which is something patients consistently tell us is so important.”

About C the Signs

C the Signs instantly assesses cancer risk using advanced AI, existing medical records, and patient-reported data (no new tests or imaging required). The platform continuously updates each patient's risk profile over time, catching cancer even before symptoms appear or raise clinical concern. Finding cancer early can transform the prognosis, giving people more possibilities for effective care and more healthy years. Doctors Bea Bakshi and Miles Payling founded the company in 2017 after seeing firsthand the difference that early diagnosis can make to a patient's life. C the Signs has detected cancer in over 70,000 patients and recognizes a new patient with cancer every 22 minutes. Validated by Mayo Clinic, the company is backed by investors including Khosla Ventures, MMC, Ataraxia, and Acequia Capital. Clinicians, patients, families, and health systems can learn more about free, early detection at https://www.cthesigns.com/.

Fonte: Business Wire