The MCD Spotlight research program aims to evaluate the potential of multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests in Australia.
What are MCD tests?
MCD tests look for signals that could indicate the presence of cancer, with a single test covering many different cancer types in one go. These tests are non-invasive, for example, based on a blood or spit sample. MCD tests are a type of “screening test”, which means a person with cancer signal detected by an MCD test would need additional clinical investigations to determine whether they have cancer.
Ideally, the aim of MCD tests is to detect cancers early and improve cancer outcomes.
What is the aim of the MCD Spotlight research?
While MCD tests are a promising new area, there are still many important questions around whether and how they could be used for cancer screening in Australia (which means testing people who do not have any cancer symptoms) in a way proven to deliver more benefits than harms. The MCD Spotlight work will advance knowledge on MCD tests and generate evidence-based recommendations for next steps in research and practice.
Ultimately, the MCD Spotlight program aims to use genomics to help reduce the burden of cancer and enable Australians to live longer, healthier lives.
The MCD Spotlight research program includes four interconnected and complementary research components:
We will conduct a comprehensive review of important evidence on multi-cancer detection tests, including key studies in Australia and globally.
This research component has 3 key activities. Our goal is to understand how MCD tests could fit within existing care pathways in Australia. This involves:
- Mapping potential clinical follow-up investigations for people with cancer signal detected by an MCD test
- Assessing the acceptability of MCD tests to health professionals, including barriers and enablers for successful implementation.
- Exploring public preferences for potential use of MCD tests in Australia, to identify future patient-centred approaches.
We will assess the potential impact of using MCD tests for cancer screening in Australia, by:
- Mapping current trends in cancer care in Australia, including costs, survival rates, and stage at diagnosis, using large-scale linked data (to help understand future cancer burden without MCD tests)
- Using simulation models that can assess potential impacts of MCD tests and evaluate outcomes for a range of scenarios (for example, looking at overall health benefits and harms, as well as costs and cost-effectiveness)
Based on our findings, we will formulate evidence-based recommendations that bring together available evidence, identify important remaining questions, and outline the next steps for research, policy, and practice.
We will work directly with the Australian public, health professionals, and policy interest-holders to provide a clear actionable Roadmap that can help guide the integration of MCD testing into Australia’s health system if and when the necessary evidence thresholds are met.