Eight new projects have received nearly £10 million in funding after a call for new innovation in cancer care last year.
One of the projects is an artificial intelligence (AI) system which can interpret and prioritise abnormal chest x-rays and spot lung cancer sooner.
A new blood test for diagnosing cancer, known as the pinpoint test, also uses AI and can rule out one in five patients from having one of the nine most common cancers.
All of the projects are being fast tracked into the NHS to see the benefit to patients by efficiently diagnosing cancer patients.
Professor Peter Johnson, Clinical Director of the NHS Cancer Programme, said: “Working out how to make use of ground-breaking ideas like the PinPoint test is key to improving outcomes for people with cancer.
“The companies and hospitals pioneering these innovative ideas are leading the way, and will help us to diagnose cancer earlier when it is easier to treat – potentially saving thousands of lives.
“Today’s development funding, which is part of our open call initiative, is just one of many opportunities to attract and fast-track high quality innovations into the NHS, supporting the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan and vitally, improving care for our patients”.
Another of the pioneering projects backed by the NHS involves an endoscope-smartphone adapter, which turns a regular smartphone into a piece of diagnostic equipment for head and neck cancers.
Professor Richard Gilbertson, Chair of the NHS Innovation External Advisory Board, said: “There has never been a more exciting and inspiring time to work in cancer research and treatment. The NHS is an incredible organisation, providing joined-up healthcare to an entire nation through a single system. This affords us with a unique opportunity to partner with experts in academia and industry, and bring the latest innovations in early cancer diagnosis and intervention to patients quicker.
“The projects supported by these awards are the first of many new devices and diagnostics that we hope will bring us closer to the day when no patient dies of cancer”.
The new projects aim to help the NHS deliver its Long Term Plan and see 55,000 more people each year survive cancer for five or more years by 2028.
The NHS also want to see three quarters of people with cancer to be diagnosed at an early stage by 2028, something which health chiefs think could be possible through the use of these new innovations.
A full list of all the successful innovations can be found here.
