World Cancer Day 2026

Know fast Preventable: The Key to Modern Cancer Screening

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world. It killed more than 10 million people in 2020, or 1 in 6 of all deaths, but did you know that cancer is preventable and has a high chance of cure? If detected at an early stage 

On the occasion of 4 February, "World Cancer Day", we invite everyone to join us. Closing the gap in care with health care Get screened for cancer early and pass on the knowledge of prevention to those around you. 

Why is it important to detect cancer early? 

In the fight against cancer, "Early Detection" is still one of the most powerful weapons because if detected early, the cancer is often small and confined to a specific area and has not spread to other organs of the body. As a result, the treatment is more effective and does not require very drastic treatment. Therefore, patients who are diagnosed at an early stage often It responds better to treatment, has fewer side effects, and has a better quality of life, and can also reduce the burden of long-term medical costs. 

The research in China is a clear example of the success of early cancer screening through esophageal lining endoscopy in a population aged 40–69 years, which has been found to significantly reduce the mortality rate from esophageal cancer and subsequently led to the development of the country's esophageal cancer risk assessment program. Similarly, Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) has also shown that it reduces the incidence and mortality of colon cancer by more than 30%. 

All of these examples reflect that good screening is a powerful defense, and it is essential to develop testing techniques that are sensitive, accurate, and equitable. 

New Age Screening: An Important Step Toward Cancer Prevention 

Currently, the world is focusing on developing new screening technologies and methods to detect cancer at an early stage. For example: 

• Liquid biopsy 

It is a technology that analyzes body fluids such as blood, urine, or saliva to look for signs of cancer cells in the early stages by detecting cancer cell DNA fragments (ctDNA) or biochemical substances that are indicators of abnormalities (biomarkers) floating in the bloodstream. without cutting a biopsy from the body; 

• Epitope Detection in Monocytes (EDIM) 

EDIM technology analyzes monocytes that when stimulated turn into macrophages that feed on foreign substances in the body such as bacteria, degenerative cells, or even cancer cells. It uses two proteins, DNaseX and TKTL1, which help assess the risk of having cells that may develop into cancer in the future. 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

AI technology has come to play a huge role in today's cancer screening process. Especially in the field of medical image analysis. It can detect abnormalities so subtle that they are sometimes invisible to the human eye, such as detecting oral lesions that may develop into cancer in the future. The study confirms that AI can significantly reduce the rate of misdiagnosis, both false positives and false negatives. 

However, while these modern screening technologies open the door to early detection of cancer, they still need to be done in conjunction with basic screening recommended by doctors, such as mammograms for breast cancer, colonoscopy, Pap smear (HPV), and annual health checkups for various risk groups. 

In an era when medical technology is constantly advancing. Early detection of cancer remains key to the fight against this terrible disease, because every test is an opportunity to live a long life and spend valuable time with our loved ones. While modern technology has made screening more accurate and convenient, it is equally important to provide equal access to testing and health care for everyone.  

Because "know fast, test quickly, act quickly" is an important step in building a healthy, safe, and health-free society in the future. 

Reference List 

1. World Health Organization. Cancer [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization. 2025 Feb 3 [cited 2025 Dec 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer 

2. Zhang Y, Sun T, Chen X, Li D, Feng F, Zhang L, et al. YDevelopment and external validation of a nomogram for predicting the risk of developing esophageal cancer based on a questionnaire: a multicenter case-control study. Front Oncol. 2025;15:1684561. 

3. Choi HI, Cha JM. Non-invasive colorectal cancer screening: emerging tools and clinical evidence. Clin Endosc. 2025. 

4. Benil T, Krishna R, Sariki TP, Yashika P, Saraogi S, Saraogi S. Detect pre-cancerous tongue lesions for early oral cancer diagnosis using deep learning algorithm. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):41828. 

5. American Institute for Cancer Research. The Future of Cancer Screening: Breakthrough Detection. Arlington, VA: American Institute for Cancer Research. 2024.