On 15 June 2026, Cancer Research UK hosted an event in London that brought together leading experts from across research, policy and clinical practice to explore the critical role of symptomatic recognition and management in primary care, and its contribution to improving earlier diagnosis.
The event report summarises the key discussion points from the day. It also includes insights from patients and the public gathered through engagement with people affected by cancer through Cancer Research UK Cancer Insight Panels, focusing on their experience of going to the GP with a sign or symptom of suspected cancer, and what, if any, improvements could have made their experience better.
In the UK, most cancers are still diagnosed following symptomatic presentation in primary care, meaning improvements to symptom recognition, risk assessment and referral pathways remain essential to achieving earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes.
Throughout the event, discussions emphasised that significant gains could be achieved by more consistently implementing proven interventions already supported by evidence. Priorities included improving referral guidelines, particularly for patients with non-specific symptoms, strengthening safety-netting processes, increasing access to diagnostics, reducing unwarranted variation in care, and using audit and feedback mechanisms to support clinical decision-making.
Looking ahead, speakers highlighted the potential of integrated risk stratification, enhanced interpretation of diagnostic tests and multi-cancer tests. However, there was strong consensus that innovation alone will not deliver impact unless interventions are rigorously evaluated, integrated into existing pathways and designed around the realities of clinical practice.
The event also explored the growing role of genomics in primary care. Advances in risk prediction models and tools such as CanRisk demonstrate opportunities for more personalised approaches to cancer risk assessment. Successful implementation will require clear guidance, effective risk communication and user-friendly integration into routine workflows.
A recurring message throughout the day was that implementation is often a greater challenge than evidence generation. Successful adoption of innovation requires a whole pathway approach, supported by sustainable funding, strong leadership and engagement with health professionals and patients from the outset.
Finally, reducing unwarranted variation, addressing inequalities, improving collaboration between primary and secondary care, and ensuring innovations benefit all populations were identified as critical enablers of progress.
Patient and public insights underscored the need for more equitable pathways to earlier diagnosis. Experiences of having to self-advocate for investigations and referrals highlighted potential barriers for some groups (e.g. those with lower health literacy), while accessible primary care, continuity of care, and timely investigation of persistent symptoms were identified as key priorities for improvement.
Though the focus of the event was driving improvements in symptomatic pathways, discussions unearthed a range of useful reflections and suggestions which are relevant for wider thinking. Below, we have summarised key reflections and potential actions that the community can take forward. Cancer Research UK will be considering how best to progress action across these areas.
Policymakers, health system leaders and influencers need to establish clear priorities at both research and policy levels, including effective demand signalling, to ensure a more co-ordinated approach to driving improvements in cancer detection in primary care.
Funding bodies should increase support for researchers and industry developing innovations, including consideration of regulatory and compliance costs when designing and funding research, and/or adoption and implementation grants.
Funding and regulatory bodies need to provide greater support, and better signposting to resources that already exists, for innovators in navigating the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and its associated processes.
Health system influencers need to continue to emphasise the importance of the role of referral guidelines for primary care, and support health professionals to implement in an effective way. Improved co-ordination between academics, third sector, policy makers and those developing guidelines could support evidence-based prioritisation of guideline updates. Guideline developers must work directly with primary care to ensure guidelines are fit for purpose and practical for routine use in primary care settings, particularly for patients presenting with non-specific symptoms.
Policymakers and health system leaders must enhance access within primary care to diagnostic investigations, audit data, and feedback mechanisms to support informed clinical decision-making and appropriate referral practices.
Health system leaders and influencers should ensure the implementation of genomic interventions in primary care is supported by clear guidance, effective risk communication strategies, and integration within existing clinical pathways.
Health system leaders and health professionals need to champion evaluation, working with those specialising in intervention evaluation to promote a more systematic and sustainable approach to assessing interventions and innovations.
Policymakers need to improve access to sustainable funding mechanisms, and capacity within primary care to support the piloting and evaluation of evidence-based interventions.
Ahead of introducing change to cancer pathways, policymakers and health system leaders must carefully consider the wider healthcare system, recognising how different specialties and care pathways may interact to either support or impede progress. This will identify opportunities for greater integration and mutually beneficial collaboration across services.
Health system leaders, policy makers and service providers should ensure symptomatic cancer pathways are designed around patient needs, reducing reliance on self-advocacy through effective safety-netting, timely investigation or persistent symptoms and equitable access to diagnostic services.
All relevant stakeholders must act to strengthen stakeholder engagement, communication, and alignment across organisations to reduce siloed working and promote collaborative approaches.
Read the event report for a full summary of the presentations and reflections from speakers, key themes and takeaways.
Read the report in full