Early detection and therapeutics

Early detection, including cancer screening and surveillance, is emerging as one of the most important topics in modern oncology. Because symptomatic presentation remains the predominant route to cancer diagnosis, there is a growing interest in developing techniques to detect the disease at an early, curative stage. Moreover, growing understanding of cancer biology has paved the way for prevention studies with the focus on therapeutic interventions for premalignant conditions. Where there is a recognisable precursor stage, such as a colorectal adenoma or Barrett's metaplasia, the removal of abnormal tissue prevents the development of cancer and enables stratification of the patient to a high‐risk group requiring further surveillance. Here, we provide a review of the available technologies for early diagnosis and minimally‐invasive treatment. Substantial progress has been made in the field of early cancer detection and therapy, which can be readily appreciated for gastrointestinal malignancies. Well‐established endoscopic screening modalities are being increasingly replaced by minimally‐invasive and biomarker‐driven tests. Endoscopic therapy, on the other hand, has become the main treatment modality for early neoplasia, ensuring a large proportion of patients do not have to undergo invasive surgical treatment.