Menu
One in three of us will develop cancer in our lifetime. Cancer is common, but it is also complex – to the point that all cancers are unique. Despite advancement within cancer research, there is still much yet to discover.
The iCAN multidisciplinary research on precision cancer medicine and digital health aims to create breakthrough discoveries for advancing personalized cancer diagnosis and treatment. We do this through cutting-edge research across cancer types, focused on improving understanding in immuno-oncology, tumor microenvironment and development of disease resistance.
Increasing understanding of how cancer and the healthy tissues interact
To better understand cancer, we need to know what is happening in the tumor on a molecular level. Because cancer is a dynamic disease, another important question to ask is: what is going on between the cancer cells and the healthy cells and systems of the body? And based on this, what can we do to better diagnose and treat cancer?
This is why in the Flagship Project, iCAN researchers are not only taking a deep-dive into cancer tumors on a molecular level; but combining this deep molecular profiling data with broader health and lifestyle information on the patient, including patient reported outcomes. This information is collected from a long time-span, even beginning from years prior to the cancer diagnosis – adding up to huge amounts of data.
The goal is not to just generate new information, but to also integrate existing data that is currently in silos, and to create better ways to understand and utilize the data.
iCAN discovery platform acts as catalyst for research breakthroughs
A central part of the iCAN project is the development of a discovery platform to connect, analyze and store this data. With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we are also developing tools that enable the efficient use of this data in research.
This way we aim to reach a new level in understanding the cross-talk between the tumor and the host. Our research projects leverage the iCAN discovery platform to identify new, actionable targets and solutions for diagnosing and treating cancer.
Our work in cancer research may be complex, but our goal is simple: enable better outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.