Commissioned by Health Innovation East, the independent evaluation found that implementation of C the Signs across Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) was associated with 272 patients being diagnosed earlier and £1.5 million in annual cost savings – demonstrating how AI can help improve patient outcomes and optimise NHS resources.
By helping GPs identify patients at risk of cancer sooner and reduce unnecessary urgent suspected cancer (USC) referrals, the platform has also eased system pressures and released valuable clinical capacity across the region.
“This study provides clear evidence that AI can make a measurable impact on cancer care,” said Dr Miles Payling, Chief Scientific Officer at C the Signs. “An 800% return on investment means we’re improving early diagnosis and helping the NHS use its resources more efficiently. It’s a practical example of innovation making care better for both patients and clinicians.”
This study builds on earlier research, also published in JCO Oncology Practice and presented at ASCO, which found that GP practices using C the Signs achieved a 12% increase in cancer detection rates – from 58.7% to 66.0% – without increasing referral activity.
Together, these studies show that the platform helps detect more cancers at an earlier stage while maintaining stable referral volumes – supporting NHS priorities around early diagnosis, productivity, and elective recovery.
“Early diagnosis gives patients the best chance of successful treatment,” said Dr Seema Dadhania, Clinical Oncologist at Imperial College London and author of the study. “C the Signs is helping primary care clinicians identify those subtle cancer presentations that can otherwise be missed – improving detection while reducing unnecessary referrals. It’s a model for sustainable early diagnosis.”
Following the success in Suffolk and North East Essex, Health Innovation East has supported the expansion of C the Signs across Norfolk and Waveney ICB, with further rollouts planned across the East of England.
“This work is a strong example of technology delivering measurable benefit. C the Signs has shown that AI can help clinicians find cancer earlier. This is of obvious benefits to patients whilst also easing the pressure on NHS services, in particular on primary care. The results from Suffolk and North East Essex are a real success story for innovation in the NHS and show how the service can progress towards its goal of increasing early detection rates from 50% to 75% by 2028.”
C the Signs is a UK-developed, AI-powered clinical platform that enables the earliest and most accurate detection of cancer across more than 100 cancer types. C the Signs combines electronic health record data and patient-reported information to predict cancer risk and tumour origin with high accuracy. The platform supports continuous, equitable, and scalable early detection – improving outcomes, reducing cost, and strengthening NHS efficiency.
For more information, visit C the Signs’ website
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