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NCI launches Early Onset Cancer Initiative to study rising cancers in people 18–49
Summary
The National Cancer Institute has launched an Early Onset Cancer Initiative to coordinate research into cancers increasingly diagnosed in people ages 18–49, prioritize a set of cancers linked to metabolic dysregulation, and center patients in listening sessions and guideline development.
The National Cancer Institute on a new initiative aims to accelerate study of cancers appearing more often in younger adults and to improve prevention, screening and survivorship, Dr. Leanne Bailey said in an interview on NCI’s podcast Inside Cancer Careers.
Bailey, who is leading the Early Onset Cancer Initiative, defined early onset cancer as diagnoses occurring in people aged 18 to 49 and said the institute has been tracking these trends for more than a decade. She told host Oliver Bogleer that NCI-supported work includes “over 30 intramural and 25 extramural early onset cancer projects” and that many NCI-designated cancer centers are already working on related research.
The initiative’s first phase will focus on cancers that appear associated with higher body mass and metabolic dysregulation, Bailey said. She listed colorectal, pancreatic, endometrial, liver, gallbladder, gastric cancers, multiple myeloma, kidney cancer and premenopausal breast cancer as priorities for early study and investigation of tailored prevention and detection approaches.
Bailey emphasized the initiative will combine basic tumor-biology research with population-level studies. NCI plans to use simulation and modeling programs such as the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) to inform screening age and strategies so that earlier detection can occur without causing unnecessary harm from overtesting. She also cited recent translational successes—decades of research into RAS-family mutations and a recent FDA accelerated approval this past June of a KRAS inhibitor for advanced colorectal cancer—as examples of how basic science can lead to new therapies.
A core aim, Bailey said, is centering patients and caregivers. The initiative’s first major meeting will be a listening session that brings representative patients together with program leaders to identify patient priorities and red-flag symptoms. Bailey said the initiative will work with federal partners and professional societies to develop guidance for primary-care providers on when to evaluate younger patients for concerning symptoms.
The initiative also intends to leverage existing clinical-trials and data infrastructure, including the National Clinical Trials Network, the NCI Community Oncology Research Program and the Cancer Data Research Commons, to enhance biospecimen use, genomic-data sharing and collaboration across investigators.
Bailey described broader goals that extend beyond survival: reducing financial toxicity and improving quality of life so younger patients can “thrive, not merely survive.” She called for multidisciplinary coordination across NCI programs, external partners and community advocates to avoid creating silos and to accelerate discovery and implementation.
NCI contact and follow-up: Dr. Bailey indicated she is the initial point of contact for the initiative and invited collaboration; the podcast lists nciicc@nih.gov for show contact. The institute also referenced related resources at cancer.gov/globalhealth for global-research calls for abstracts and additional program information.
What’s next: The initiative will begin with listening sessions and program coordination; Bailey said the work will include population-based modeling, tumor-biology studies, and efforts to ensure inclusion of early onset patients in clinical trials where scientifically appropriate.
