The Oxford Suspected Cancer (SCAN) Pathway aims to reduce the time that patients with vague symptoms wait to be diagnosed. In doing this, it also aims to increase the number of patients that are diagnosed at an early stage in their illness.
Since its implementation across Oxfordshire in November 2017, the SCAN pathway has seen over 5000 patients and diagnosed over 400 incidences of cancer, most commonly lung, bowel, pancreas, lymphoma and breast. In addition to cancer diagnoses, the SCAN pathway has diagnosed a large number of serious non-cancer conditions, including tuberculosis, endocrine diseases and inflammatory bowel disease.
SCAN was also the first non-specific symptoms pathway to develop an associated research database including comprehensive imaging, laboratory, and clinical data and biobanking of blood and urine samples. It provides:
- Extensive clinical, laboratory, and imaging data
- Biobanked blood and urine samples
- Support for translational and early detection research
Whether you're developing biomarkers, validating AI models, or exploring symptom pathways, SCAN offers a rich, well-curated resource to accelerate your work.
Interested in accessing data or samples?
To access SCAN samples and clinical data, researchers should request and submit a non-binding application form, available from the INTEGRATOR team: integrator@medsci.ox.ac.uk
Following an internal review, eligible applicants are invited to discuss their project with the SCAN team, after which the application may proceed under INTEGRATOR ethics. The proposal is reviewed by the SCAN Management Group, considering factors such as scientific merit, alignment with SCAN aims, and feasibility. If approved, relevant agreements are put in place, costs are agreed, and work begins upon return of signed documentation. The SCAN team then prepares and delivers the requested samples and/or data, enabling the research project to commence.
SCAN has supported a wide range of pioneering research projects across both academia and healthcare. Learn more on the SCAN website.