Doctors could soon predict individual cancer risks thanks to a University of Southampton-backed project.

The Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme, announced on January 22, will use AI and new analytics to assess personal cancer risk.

This £10 million programme, funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), aims to diagnose cancer earlier by analysing a wide range of data.

This includes health records, genomics, family history, demographics, and behaviour.

The programme will develop statistical models to predict cancer risk, potentially allowing the NHS to offer more targeted screening.

The project will unfold over the next five years, creating the necessary infrastructure to access and link these datasets, training new data scientists, and developing algorithms behind the risk models.

The effectiveness of these algorithms and AI tools in providing accurate cancer risk information will be evaluated.

Dr Owen Rackham, Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, is leading the programme’s Advanced Analytics and Multifactorial Modelling workstream. He said: "As data grows in complexity and volume, so too does the need for innovative approaches that can translate it into actionable insights.

"The messy large-scale datasets we work with demand ingenuity to uncover meaningful patterns. The idea is to combine this with other data such as health records and administrative data to find the best way to predict cancer risk.

"Like many of us, my life has been impacted by the brutal realities of cancer, making this challenge closer to home than many."

Cancer patients, the public, clinical experts, and industry will guide the scientific programme, ensuring it addresses ethical and legal considerations.

The models resulting from this research could change how the NHS handles cancer screening.

Those at higher risk could be screened more frequently or at a younger age, while those at lower risk could avoid unnecessary tests.

People identified as higher risk could also be fast-tracked for cancer testing if they visit their GP with possible cancer symptoms.

Higher-risk individuals could also access various cancer prevention methods.

The Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme is supported by Health Data Research UK and Administrative Data Research UK.