The Oxford Centre for Cancer Early Detection and Prevention (OxCODE) brings together > 350 high calibre multidisciplinary early cancer detection and precision cancer prevention researchers from across > 20 departments, units and institutes in Oxford to collaborate and maximise research outputs in these areas.

Research into cancer prevention and early detection is critical for improving patient outcomes and reducing pressure on healthcare systems. Precision prevention exploits biological insights into risk factors and cancer development to precisely target interventions to individuals at high risk, with the aim of delaying or preventing cancer. Detecting cancers earlier increases the likelihood of successful treatment to achieve enhanced cancer cure.

Our collaborative translational research builds and uses greater biological and mechanistic understanding of cancer risk, initiation and progression for cancer early detection and precision prevention. We are developing and applying novel technologies and approaches for detecting cancer at its earliest stages and stratifying people’s risk of progression. We are designing and testing biologically informed interventions that can prevent cancer in those that we identify to be at high risk of progression.

OxCODE’s vision is to harness our existing strengths and expertise to generate Quantitative Risk Scores - the ‘Oxford QR code’ – integrated multi-parameter readouts to stratify an individual’s risk of developing malignant cancer. This will enable opportunities for precision prevention, early detection and prediction of disease progression.