Molecular cancer prevention: Intercepting disease

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Abstract

Over several decades, therapeutic advances have transformed oncology, yet for many tumour types, survival improvements have been incremental, with substantial treatment-related morbidity. A decisive pivot in oncology, from treating established malignancy to intercepting and preventing carcinogenesis, could deliver far greater population impact. Delivering this shift requires further mechanistic understanding of tumour initiation, validated biomarkers of premalignant progression and redesigned prevention trials in at-risk populations. Regulatory and commercial frameworks must evolve to enable scalable molecular prevention. Such trials must deliver tolerable side effect profiles and rely on biologically validated surrogate endpoints rather than traditional survival outcomes. Cancer interception should be established as a core pillar of oncological management, alongside early detection and the therapeutic management of established disease, together creating an opportunity to reduce global disease burden at a scale that decades of therapeutic progress in advanced cancer have yet to achieve.